A True End
by Skygirl
Summary: Sequel to Friendly Reflection. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. This is pretty much me doing season 4 over from Rain of Fire. Chapter 14 now up! Plz r&r so I atleast know it's being read...
1. Trapped

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 1:

  
  


Lexia opened her eyes to find herself in a strange room. Blue sheets surrounded her, and there was a body in the bed next to her. _Oh my_. . . , she thought.

  


Turning over she saw Connor leaning on his elbow looking down at her. The night before came rushing back to her, and she smiled. The demon, the fire raining on the city, Connor and her. . . _Wow_, was all she could think.

  


"Mornin'," he said grinning happily and rubbing her shoulder. "Did the world end?"

  


"Not exactly," Lexia said cuddling closer.

  


"That's a good thing," Connor said embracing her.

  


"Yeah," she agreed.

  


They laid entwined like that for a while. Lexia rested her cheek against Connor's chest and sighed. She wished they could stay this was forever. Just stay locked in Connor's arms away from all the terror, just out the door. But she knew eventually the euphoria of the night before would fade, and they would have to face the day.

  


Lexia kissed Connor's lips briefly, and sat up. Might as well get up. Start the flight that was ahead.

  


"Hey," Connor protested as she put on her underwear and bra. He leaned up to and pulled her close so her back was against him. 

  


"Stay," he murmured in her ear. "I don't want to get up yet."

  


Suppressing a grin she turned to him. Lexia turned, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. Her tongue slid between his lips and touched his, caressing. Connor made a noise in the back of his throat and tried to coax her back onto the bed.

  


"Connor. . ." Lexia protested pulling away. "We've gotta go."

  


She turned and picked up her dress. Connor turned on his side, leaned on his elbow and watched her. She pulled on her dress ans zipped it up. Then she searched around for her shoes. When she found one Lexia finally noticed Connor watching her.

  


"What?" she asked smiling nervously.

  
  


"I just can't believe how lucky I am."

  


Lexia bit her lip and looked away. She wasn't used to compliments like that. More or less people were just scared of her.

  


Connor finally rolled off the bed and grabbed up his clothes. He slipped on his boxers and pants and snuck up behind Lexia who was still looking for her shoe. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her to him.

  


"You're strong, fun, smart, beautiful. . ."

  


"I know all this," Lexia kidded.

  


"Well, I think you should be told every few seconds," Connor told her squeezing her waist lightly. "Or at least every day."

  


Lexia laughed and pushed him away lightly. "As much as you're raising my self esteem, I think we should go talk to your dad."

  


"Why?" Connor asked crossing his arms over his chest.

  


_Uh-oh, defensive mode_, Lexia thought.

  


"Well, don't you think we should tell him that the Beast popped up in the alley?"

  


"He'll figure it out," Connor said grabbing his shirt off of the floor. "He always does."

  


"But maybe there's a reason it was there. Ya know, in that spot?" 

  


"You mean where I was born?" Connor yanking his shirt over his head.

  


Lexia blinked. Connor was really upset about the fact it appeared in the place he was born. But it couldn't be because of him. Could it?

  


"Connor, no," Lexia said stepping toward him. "I didn't mean it like that. Just maybe it's in relation to those places around town?"

  


"Yeah, it's only some big coincidence that one of those places was where I was born."

  


"Why are you so upset with me?" Lexia finally asked getting angry herself. "Because of the alley thing or because I won't be all cuddly with you?"

  


"Ya know what?" Connor said pulling his boots on. "Forget it."

  


"No. I wanna talk about this."

  


"Well, I don't."

  


Connor got up from where he's been sitting and brushed past her. Lexia immediately regretted losing her temper with him. All this had to be hard for him.

  


"Connor," she called after him, but he was already out the door.

  
  


_Open mouth, insert foot_, she thought.

  


+ + +

  
  


After the fight Lexia had left Connor's and headed to her apartment. A shower had cleared her head a little, and she felt better. Not great, but better. She changed clothes and decided to do what she had suggested to Connor : Go to Angel's.

  


Now she entered the Hyperion timidly. Lexia didn't really talk to Angel before so she was a little nervous. Kinda weird just going up to your boyfriend's dad and just talking to him. Out of the blue. _Is Connor my boyfriend?_

  


_"_Lexia?" Lorne asked as she rounded the corner and he saw her. "Hey, sweetpea. You survive?"

  


"Just barely," Lexia told him. "I need to talk to Angel."

  


"In the Bat cave," Gunn said hooking a thumb toward the office. A girl with dark hair and eyes, stood beside him with a hand on his shoulder. "This is Fred," Gunn mentioned when Lexia quirked an eyebrow.

  


"Hi," Lexia nodded.

  


"Hi," Fred said and despite obviously not being cheerful smiled at her.

  


Lexia moved around the group to Angel's office door. She knocked and heard his answer to come in. She opened the door to see him going over some books and sitting behind his desk.

  


"Lexia," Angel commented raising an eyebrow at her.

  


"I need to talk to you. Something bad happened last night," she told him closing the door behind her.

  


"If you mean the rain of fire, and large goat beast, don't worry. I didn't miss it."

  


"Yeah well, you didn't see it burst through the ground and attack your son."

  


"Good point. Is he ok?"

  


"A few broken ribs, and possibly a mental break down, but otherwise I'm sure he's great," Lexia said sitting down and letting her head drop between her hands. Now she wished she would have tried to get more sleep.

  


"Why would he have a mental break down?" Angel asked coming around to sit on the edge of his desk.

  


"The Beast. It came out of the ground in the spot Connor was born."

  


"That doesn't mean anything," Angel told Lexia.

  


"I know. But he thinks it does."

  


"Where is he?"

  


"I don't know. We had an argument and he just left. Where would he go?"

  


+ + +

  
  


" Listen, Frank, I don't care if you have to lojack the damn thing—," Lilah Morgan growled into her phone but gets interrupted by Gavin who is bringing her coffee.

  
"Sugar?" he whispered.

  
Lilah glared at Gavin and spit into the phone, " Find that beast, or I swear to God, I will—,"  


"Boil you alive," Gavin suggested in a whisper.

  
"Shut up!"Lilah whispered angrily. " Boil you alive."

Lilah hung up the phone and sighed. She reached for her coffee and looked at Gavin.

" How hard can it be to find a giant horned thing?" -took a drink of coffee- " Or a decent cup of coffee. Why are you still here?" she asked as she threw her coffee away.

  
"Intel confirms that it was the creature that triggered the pyrotechnics last night. They're just not sure why he did it," Gavin told her holding up a report.

  
"I'll tell you why. Because he can. It's the 800 pound gorilla—it can do whatever the hell it wants. I get that. But other than charbroiling everything in sight, I don't think it has an agenda. And that makes our job tricky."

  
"What job?" 

  
"The senior partners want us to try and cut a deal with it."

  
"You can't be serious," Gavin denied with a chuckle.

  
"Why? It wants the same things we do. An apocalypse, end of the world, yadda yadda yadda. Partners feel it might speed things along and save a few bucks," Lilah remarked sarcastically.

  
"But what if it's not interested?" Gavin asked sounding worried.

"I'll change it's mind. I'm not losing this one," Lilah told him sounding determined.

Gavin swallowed, nodded, and walked out the door. A moment later he walked in backwards, with Connor staring him in the face. Connor pushed Gavin out of the way, and spoke to Lilah.__

  
"I have questions."

  
"Connor. Huh," Lilah said standing, mildly surprised. "If the last few hours haven't brought enough surprises."

She sat on her desk and faced Connor with her arms crossed. "You really threw us for a loop here, kiddo, sneaking in the building. You really are like your old man, aren't you?"

  
"It's time to find out".

  


"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Lilah asked an eyebrow raised in interest.

  
"I want to know why I'm here, what I am," he told her.

  
"Timeless question, and one we're more than happy to help answer," Lilah told him and leaned back on her desk to press a silent alarm button. "We have an in-house lab. We'll do a few easy work-ups: psychological, physiological, neurological. And focus on exactly who or what you are."

Connor looked slightly relieved for a moment until security men entered behind him. Lilah stood and grinned. "And we'll slice you open and start poking around."

Connor punched out the guards quickly and grabbed Lilah by the throat, pinning her against the wall_._

  
"I have a different idea," he growled in her face, full of anger.

"I'm open to any suggestions," Lilah said calmly.

  
"That demon you're seeking, I think I'm connected to it. I wanna find out how."

  


"Sure, no problem." Lilah looks to Gavin who is cowering near her desk. "Gavin, why don't you get our young friend a copy of your report, and we'll sit down and have a nice, non-violent conversation," she suggested.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and the building started shaking. Connor released Lilah and looked around. _Crap_, he thought.__

  
"It's here."

  
  
  
  



	2. Going In

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 2:

  


Connor looked around as the building shook and the power went out. _Great_, he thought._ Figures I would be locked up alone with this thing and no help. Why can't Lexia be one of those annoying chicks who follows guys around when they get pissed off? Coz she's Lexia and know when I need space..._

  


"It's here. The beast," Connor announced

"It's probably just an after-shock. They sometimes make the power go out," Lilah told him. She picked up the phone, pressed a few buttons only to find it not working. "Try a walkie," she ordered Gavin.

Gavin walked over to one of the guards Connor knocked out earlier and grabbed a walkie-talkie two-way radio off of him.

  
"This is Gavin Park to the front desk. Over. Come in front desk," Gavin said into the radio.

  
"Ah, this is the front desk Mr. Park, we're kinda— Oh, no! Oh, my God!" they heard the guard scream.

  
"Tell him to stop whining and make a report," Lilah ordered crossing her arms.

  
"Send backup! Oh, God! Somebody please—No!"

  
"Told you," Connor said smugly.

  
"Go downstairs, and check it out," Lilah said to Gavin. He stood and shook his head "no". "Gavin, ask yourself this question: what are you more afraid of, a giant murderous demon or me?"

  
He grinned nervously. "Be right back," he said and left the office. 

"Have any idea what this thing wants?" Lilah asked Connor.

  


"Everybody dead," Connor said and strode from the office. Lilah grabbed a pistol from her desk and loaded it and cocked it before following him out.

Out in the a hall a woman pressed the elevator button frantically. A man organized the exit, directing people down the stairwell. Amid the chaos in the crowded halls, Connor walked purposefully, with Lilah following closely behind.

  
"What exactly is this thing?" Lilah finally asked him.

  
"I don't know, but I think it's following me around," Connor told her._ All the big ugly demons like me_, he thought.

  
"And you're gonna kill it?" Lilah asked skeptical

  
"Gonna try."

  
"And we're heading towards it right now..." Lilah thought out loud then stopped in her tracks and waved to Connor. "Best of luck."

Connor walked stealthily through the hallway, tip-toeing around the dead bodies that litter the floor. He noticed the wall is streaked with blood._ I guess he got kinda messy_, Connor thought. Then he heard gunshots from another room nearby. _What the...?_ He went in to investigate.

In a conference room Lilah shot at the Beast over and over, but the Beast is not phased by the gunshots. It walked toward her as she backed away. The Beast wrenched the gun out of her hands and pushed Lilah onto her back on a conference table.

"I could help you. Anything you need," Lilah offered struggling.

Ignoring her the Beast plunged its forefinger into Lilah's abdomen. She screamed in agony as he wiggled it around. He pulled the finger out of her and pushed her off the table. Lilah landed with a thud and backed away. Then, realizing Connor's in the room, the Beast stared at him. Connor ran at the Beast with sword in hand, but the blade broke on the Beast's skin.__

"Connor . . . " the Beast started.

_How the hell does he know me? _Connor wondered as he threw a punch at him. Again it's not fazed. The Beast then punched Connor so hard that he flew across the room, where his body hit a pillar, causing it to crumble on top of him, burying him in debris. _Yeah_, he thought as his mind dimmed and his body went weak. _Should have listened to Lexia. Women . . . _

_ + + +_

Back at the Hyperion Lexia was on pins and needles. Everyone else was sitting around going through books, and Lexia was ready to jump into action. This was the team that stopped apocalypse after apocalypse? Seemed kinda. . . Non-action, or whatever the better word for it was. For they're part they seemed kinda on edge too.

"Can you not do that?" Fred asked Gunn who was tapping a pencil against a book.

"Oh, sorry," Gunn stopped. "Helps me think."

  


"I didn't mean to snap," Fred apologized.

  


Cordelia was sitting on the couch. "I'm ready to crackle-pop myself. The last 24 haven't exactly been normal. We're all tired."

"I just wanna find Connor," Lexia said. Angel walked by her obstructing her view of Cordelia. But when he passed Lexia could have sworn Cordelia glared at her.

Angel brushed by Lorne's leg who was sleeping on the couch beside Cordy. He sat up startled awake. "Huh? Oh. Mmm. Just, uh, meditating on the problem. Yeah. Asking the inner Lorne for a little backup. Heh."

They began discussing where Connor could be and something about a connect the dot thing. Lexia didn't pay much attention. She was too busy feeling a big wave of tension heading straight for the building. It didn't feel like trouble, but one could never know. Fortunately it was Wesley, looking rather grim.

Gunn rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, good. More bad news."

  
"Can you just try to get along?" Fred whispered to him. "He was your friend."

  
"Heavy on the 'was.'"

"You know where it is. The Beast," Angel commented as Wesley walked in.

"Inside Wolfram and Hart. And so is—,"

"Well, that answers a lot of questions. They're probably having a big sit-down, breaking bread," Gunn said sarcastically. 

"It's killing everything that moves in there," Wesley deadpaned.

"Don't we not like those guys anyways?" Lexia asked. Everyone on the street knew of W&H. Lexia thought getting rid of some of them was a pretty good idea.

"Your son is trapped inside," Wesley told Angel.

"What?" Lexia and Angel said together.

"Oh my God! Connor?" Cordelia panicked walking over to Wesley. "Why would he be in there? I don't understand."

"Lots of things I don't understand. We're going in after him,"Angel told them all.

"Won't be easy. The building's locked tight. There's no way out," Wesley told him.

"You got out," Lexia pointed out.

"I bet there's a way in," Angel said.

+ + +

Connor had come to and was now sneaking around corners searching for the best. He'd lost track of him by the time he'd pulled all the debris off oh himself. _Which is not exactly a bad thing_, he concluded. _I really don't want to be thrown through a wall again._

He was stepping over bodies left and right. One of them happened to be Gavin's. Connor sighed slightly at the sight but moved on. So he didn't notice Gavin's eyes snap open when he passed.

+ + +

Lexia was handed an axe by Angel, while he had a broad sword, and Gunn was picking out his own weaponry. Wesley was packing a bag while Fred was talking to him. He looked kinda of uncomfortable. But no one really had the comfort vibe going on so she let it slide. Cordelia went up to Angel and patted his arm reassuringly.

"It's gonna be fine you know," she told him. "Connor's a champion, like you. He's special."  


" I know," he assured her with a smile. "Somebody should stay here and mind the store."

"Me!" Lorne cried raising a hand. "Me me me. Sargent Stay-At-Home, volunteering for duty, sir."

"Gunn, Let's go," Angel told him.

  
"Angel, uh, assuming we can even get inside the evil empire, same big beastie's in there who spanked our asses six ways to Sunday," Gunn pointed out. "What's gonna be different this time?"

  
"What's different is we're not going for the monster, we're going for Connor."

  
"So, you phoned ahead so the big bad would understand that?"

  
"Look, I don't know the answers. Don't even know most of the questions. But what I do know is that I have to go into Wolfram and Hart and find my son. Now as far as us versus the big bad's concerned, there's only one smart way to play it: You see it, you run like hell." 

"Sounds like a plan," Lexia commented  


"Works for me," Cordelia agreed and grabbed a knife from the cabinet only to Angel take it from her and put it back. "Excuse me."

  
"Stay here with Lorne."

  
"Uh-uh. Connor's in danger, and I—," she goes for the knife again but Angel stops her.

  
"Cordelia, I don't want you there. It's too dangerous. I have my son to worry about I don't want to worry about you too," Angel told her running his knuckles across her cheek. Cordelia frowned but nodded slightly. Angel turned and motioned for the others to follow.__

  
"Happy hunting!" Lorne called to them. "We'll, uh, stay here and keep the home fires burning. Bake some nice healing muffins, hm?"__

Lexia turned when she felt a cold feeling. Cordelia was glaring at them as they left. It made Lexia wonder why Cordelia was so concerned with Connor when obviously she and Angel had a thing. Why did it feel like Cordelia kept giving her dirty looks too. Maybe Lexia was just imagining things. _Yeah, _she thought_. That has to be it._

_ + + +_

Wesley led the group through the sewers. He stops under a shut and shines a light up through it. Lexia noted that it seemed to go straight up.  


"This is it. I believe there's a door about 30 meters up."

  
"You believe or you know?" Gunn asked. " 'Cause every time you show up believing something seems somebody gets their head drilled or falls into a portal."

  
"Charles—," Fred began.

  
"I'm just saying," Gunn said shrugging.

"Man you guys like to fight don't ya?" Lexia asked looking between the three.

  
"Yes, well I'm doing—," Wesley tried to say but Angel cut him off.

"Will you guys shut up? I don't give a rat's ass about what's going on between you two. Put it away. We're here for Connor."

  
"I still don't see how you plan on getting us up there," Gunn grouches only to have Angel jump up the chute. "Show off."

"I could have flown up it," Lexia told him.

Angel dropped a line down the chute. Wesley grabbed on first and began to climb up. Lexia sighed and decided she'd go last. _Man Connor_, she thought. _You better be worth this_.__

  



	3. Free

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  


Chapter 3:Lexia followed Angel and the gang into the lobby. There were dead bodies everywhere. Lexia felt her heart flutter at the sight. All this death and destruction by one thing. What if Connor- _No_ she told herself. _Connor will be alright_.

  


"Oh my God...," Fred murmured probably feeling about the same as Lexia. "I know they all worked for an evil company, but this is—," she cut herself off when Gunn jumped. "What?"

  
"Heard something," he said scanning the area.

  
"Power's down," Angel noted. "We'll have to take the stairs."

  
"Just so I'm clear on the plan—," Gunn started.

  
"Third floor—get Connor, get out".

  
Fred gasped suddenly. Everyone looked at her. "Sorry. Feeling a little goosey."

  
"For good reason," Wesley agreed.

  


Angel took the lead and started upstairs. Lexia stayed in the back incase the beast tried to jump them from behind. _Not that I would do much good, he kicked my ass last time_.

  
"Be quick, be quiet," Angel advised. "As far as we know, that thing's still around."

"You're the one making all the noise," Lexia pointed out.

"I can see why Connor like her," Angel muttered annoyed.

Lexia smirked and stepped over a body. The gang headed up the stairs but Lexia stopped for a moment. She looked back when she felt like she was being watched. She saw nothing so continued up the stairs with the gang. 

If she had stayed a moment longer she might have noticed one of the bead bodies eyes snap open.

They continued on through a corridor on the third floor. This floor was also littered with dead bodies.

"I don't get it. Wolfram and Hart is evil, the big bad is evil... why go all Terminator on your own team?" Gunn asked.

  
"Maybe all it wants... is to eliminate the competition," Angel mused.

  
"Doesn't give us much to look forward to, does it?" Fred commented.

As they rounded the corner, they came close to the supply closet. Wesley shined his light in it, then on the floorthere was a puddle of blood by some rolls of toilet paper. Lexia felt a strange presence at this spot, but something felt wrong.__

  
"Wasn't Gavin...?" Wesley wondered out loud.

"Over here!" Angel said from a nearby room.

Angel was digging through a pile of debris that Lexia could smell Connor on. The rest of the gang joined in.

  
"He's not in here," Fred said.

  
"Let's be certain," Wesley said looking around.

  
"No, she's right. He's not," Angel said and everyone stopped. 

"That's good, right? Means he's still alive," Lexia said trying reassure herself.

  
"Or that Sherlock got his facts wrong again," Gunn said glaring at Wesley.

  
"No, I can smell him. Connor was here. We should split up," Angel said grabbing his sword. "You three, take one stairwell. Sweep each floor, we'll meet up top. Lexia you're with me."

Lexia followed Angel out of the room.

+ + + 

  


On the 7'th floor Angel and Lexia walked stealthily along. They had both been rather quite along the way only speaking to confirm Connor wasn't around. But Lexia was getting a bad vibe. Something wasn't right here, and she needed to say something.

"Does anything seem off to you?" she asked.

"A whole bunch of evil, dead lawyers to boot, but that's about it," Angel told her.

Lexia shrugged and followed Angel along. The both stopped when they reached a corner someone was coming around it too, and they both tensed for battle. The turned the corner only to find Connor.

  
"Connor. Jesus," Angel said hugging him. "Thank God you're alive."

  
Connor pulled back from the hug. "Hey, how'd you know where to find me? Lexia," Connor said when he saw her. He moved around Angel and hugged her. Lexia hugged back glad to see him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah."

Lexia pushed him away from her and punched him in the side. "Don't ever scare me like that again," she ordered.

"Right..." Connor said wide eyed.

  
"C'mon you two," Angel said grabbing Connor's arm and walking away. "We got to get you out of here first."

  
"Wait," Connor said pulling free. "First I have to kill that thing. This is my fault."

  
"We can't kill it, and no it's not. We've thrown everything we can at it—it's not enough. We need to go," Angel told him firmly. 

Angel turned to walk away, only to find himself face to face with one of the dead lawyers. He grabbed Angel, but Angel punched him and threw him across the hall into a wall. He landed on the floor and was still.__

  
"Gavin—how did—?" Angel asked himself confused.

  
"He looks dead," Connor commented.

  
"He is dead. Technically, 's undead. It's a zombie,"Angel informed him.

"OH, gross," Lexia complained.

Gavin stood up.__

  
"What's a zombie?" Connor asked.

Angel grabbed Gavin and threw him across the hall again.__

  
"It's an undead thing."

  
"Like you?"

  
"No, zombies are slow-moving, dimwitted things that crave human flesh."

  
"Like you," Connor said a small smile on his face.

  
"No!" Angel pointed at Connor. "It's different. Trust me."

"That wasn't nice," Lexia admonished Connor.

Gavin woke again but Angel just kicked him in the face. "Come on," he said to Lexia and Connor who followed him down the hall.  


"Why are they doing this? Why are they zombies?" Connor asked holding onto Lexia's hand to make sure he didn't loose her.

  
"I don't know, but we need to find the others." Angel said.

Connor looked at Lexia who shrugged. She didn't know how to explain it either. The Beast was a creature they knew nothing about.

As they walked away more zombie rose behind them.__

Angel, Connor, and Lexia his in a doorway of the seventh floor as they spotted zombies rise in front of them too. As the Zombies walked past them Angel informed them how to kill Zombies.

  


"The only way to kill a zombie is to stop its brain activity. Cut off it's head, smash it's skull... luckily, they're slow and stupid so we have a decent chance of beating them.." Angel said peeking around the corner. "Unless, of course, there's hundreds of 'em."

Connor and Lexia peeked around the corner too to see that there were in fact hundreds of them. Then they heard screaming from a room down the hall. Among the zombies. They looked at Angel who sighed and took off down the hall fighting his way through zombies. Connor and Lexia followed.

Lexia used the flat side of her axe to bat a zombie out of her way and continued the swing to cut off another's head. Connor punched one in the face sending it down, and snapped another's neck. They fought their way through along with Angel until they came to a clearing in the group and ran down the hall to the room where the screaming came from. Angel kicked the door in and Lexia and Connor followed. Fred, Gunn, and Wesley were holding another door closed.__

  


"Connor," Fred said when she saw him. 

  
"We got what we came for. Let's go. Wes?" Angel prompted him.

  


"Only two exits I know of," Wesley told him. "Third floor and lobby." 

  
"That's too far," Fred worried.

  
"We can make it," Connor said looking at Lexia. Lexia frowned.

  
"Not all of us" Angel said what she was thinking. "Too many dead men walking. All right, look, there is one other way. The white room. It's an inter-dimensional space here in Wolfram and Hart." 

  
"Sounds kinda portaly," Gunn said worried.

"Not exactly. More like a gateway. And there's a little girl there. Or something old and evil that likes to pretend she's a little girl."

  
"You've seen her?" Connor asked.

  
"I met her once when I was trying to find you. She might be able to help us." 

  
"So, fight seven floors of evil lawyer zombies or sweet talk a nasty little girl?"Gunn mused. "You know where my heart's at."

"1 floor has better odds," Lexia agreed.

  
"Yeah, I gotta disagree. I vote for the white room. How do we get there?"Fred asked.

  
"Gonna need your help," Angel told her.

The gang ran out into the hall. Zombies stumbled along behind them groaning. About 10 feet from the elevator everyone but Angel and Fred stopped and turned to fight them off. Lexia kicked one away from her, and batted another one with her axe.

"Nice swing," Gunn told her.

Behind them Angel pried open the elevator doors and let Fred in. "Do what you can," he told her and ran to help them. The gang fights off Zombies right and left and found themselves slowly being pushed back to the elevator.

  
"Fred!" Angel warned.

  
"Working on it!" she told him. "Come on, Fred, think. Bypass switch for a shutdown command."

  
"Come on, Fred," Angel called again as a zombie climbed onto his back and Gunn pulled it off.

Suddenly the hun of electricity could be heard. "Angel!"

  
"Guys, let's go," Angel said and headed in. 

  
"You remember the code?" Wesley asked him. 

  
"Hello, photographic memory," Angel said as Lexia joined them in the elevator. 

Angel pushed different floor numbers. 18-23-20. Connor and Gunn got into the elevator. 28-27. Nothing happened.__

  
"What?" Angel said to the elevator.

  
"Maybe you forgot," Connor suggested.

  
"I didn't forget. Lemme try again," Angel said and presses the set of numbers again. 

  
"That's Gavin," Gunn said as Zombie Gavin got closer to the elevator. "I know that guy. Hold up." He stepped out of the elevator and cut off Gavin's head with his axe. "I hate seeing someone I know like that, even someone I know I hate."

"You're such a humanitarian," Lexia drawled.

"Damn straight," Gunn told her.

  
"No time like the present, Angel," Wesley told him as he pushed the buttons again. Finally a larger button appears over the regular buttons.

  
"Here's hoping she's in a good mood," Angel said pressing it. 

Everything suddenly goes white. The room slowly comes into view and the gang looks around confusedly. "Oh no!" Fred cried. They turn to see the little girl in her red dress, white stockings, and black patented leather shoes lying on her back, the Beast standing over her.

  
"It was waitin' for us all along," Gunn said.

  
"No, I don't think so," Angel said watching the scene. "He wanted this. The girl—whatever she is—it came for her."

  
"Is there a way out of here?" Wesley asked.

  
"The answer is among you," the little girl said pointing over to the group.

The Beast holds his right hand over the little girl. A weird black energy rises from her and into his hand. When it was gone the Beast rose and started toward the group menacingly. Everyone raised their weapons. Lexia looked toward the little girl who held out her hand and mumbled something. Everything went white again.__

_ + + +_

Connor looked around when the white faded again. They were now in the hotel lobby. Lorne was sipping a martini and reading a book when he saw them. His eyes went wide and he looked suspiciously at his drink.

  
"Home," Angel said looking around. "She sent us."

  
"Dad?" Connor asked walking up to him.

Angel starts to say something when Cordelia stood and launches herself into Connor's arms.__

  
"You're safe," she breathed. 

Connor returned her hug and noticed Lexia cross her arms over her chest. She looked at Angel who also crossed his arms over his chest. They shared a look. Finally Cordelia released Connor and turned to Angel.

"You're all safe," she said and hugged Angel.__


	4. Bad Day?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 4:

  
  


Lexia took off her jacket and sat down on the bed. Angel had asked her and Connor to stay there while the Beast was on the run. Lexia knew Angel wanted to keep tabs on his son, couldn't blame him though. The boy did get in a lot of trouble.

  


They were taking Connor's old room, which surprised her when Angel told her where it was. Then he needed to talk to Connor. Which was fine with Lexia because she needed a moment or two to sort things out in her head.

  


Suddenly Lexia felt a rather cold feeling at her door. She couldn't hear anything strange but... there was something there, she was sure of it. She tiptoed quietly to the door and flung it open. Only to see no one there. She frowned and looked down the hall to see Cordelia going into her room. She didn't notice Lexia and just went right on inside. Lexia frowned and shut the door.

  


_You are going nuts, Lex_, she told herself.Sighing she sat on the bed again. But maybe she wasn't going nuts. Cordelia was acting weird. True she didn't know the norm of how Cordelia acted but she just felt that something wasn't right with her. If she actually talked to her father maybe she could figure it out but, that was out of the question.

  


The door opened and Connor walked in. Lexia stood up as he walked further in the room. Connor stopped in front of her and smiled sadly.

  


"Do I get a lecture from you too?" he asked looking up at her through the hair that had fallen over his face.

  


"Why would I?" she asked brushing his hair away from his face.

  


"Coz my dad just did," he said motioning to the door. "He said I was being reckless going after the Beast and I should pick my battles."

  


"He's right," Lexia said poking him in the ribs he hurt yesterday. He only winced a little, they were almost healed.

  


"Hey," he protested. "At least my dad doesn't try and hurt me to teach me a reason-," Connor stopped and thought a moment. "-most of the time."

  


Lexia smiled and pulled on his hands so he would sit down on the bed with her. "I know the Beast is not here because of you. You're a good person Connor. You could never bring something like that about."

  


"That's not what the little girl said," Connor said bitterly looking away.

  


"What?" Lexia asked confused.

  


"She said 'the answer is among you'. She had to mean me," Connor told her. "I know it's not Angel he's the champion, and everyone else had been around for a while. I doubt they're gonna be evil."

  


"Connor no. Even if your whole 'they were around longest theory' were right, I could be apart of the Beasts plant too," at Connor's look she thought about what she said. "I'm not."

  


"I know you aren't. But it's most likely me. It has to be."

  


"No it doesn't," Lexia said feeling frustrated. "God, you are such a pessimists."

  


"And you have such a bad temper," he teased her. __

  


_"_Connor-," she tried to argue more but he put a finger to her lips.

  


"Look. I've had really hard day. I've gotten my ass kicked, had to fight off flesh eating zombies, and now I've gotten chewed out by my dad and my girlfriend.Can I please just get a kiss for all my trouble?"

  


Lexia smiled when he gave her a defeated puppy dog look. She leaned forward and put a hand on either side of his face, then kissed his lips lightly, sweetly. She pulled away slightly and looked him in the eyes.

  


"Better?" she asked.

  


"I dunno yet. You better do it again, just to make sure," Connor said smiling impishly.

  


Lexia smiled and did so. This time she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Connor rested his hands on her sides, massaging her lightly. Lexia smiled as he lowered her to the bed and began removing his shirt. She laid back as his kisses lowered to her throat...

  


+ + +__

  
  


Afterward Connor hugged Lexia to him protectively.It felt so good to have her in his arms and know that she loved him. Connor felt that if there was anyone he could be sure about it was her. A thought occured to him and he sat up suddenly panicked.

  


"You could get pregnant," he said eyes wide. "We could have just-."

  


"I'm on the pill," she told him smiling. She put a hand to his cheek. "It's alright."

  


"Oh. What's that?" he asked settling back down beside her.

  


"It's medicine girls take so they won't get pregnant."

  


"Oh."

  


Connor nuzzeled her neck and kissed her there. Lexia giggled a little and turned over. She put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed there lightly.

  


"So now do you feel better?"

  


"Yeah," he said hugging her. "Lots. Tons."

  


"Good."

  


They laid together with Connor's head on her stomach and Lexia running her hands through his hair. Then they heard sirens go bye. They both looked toward the window quitely.

  


"It's him isn't it?" Connor asked her.

  


"Yeah," Lexia said.

  


"Why can't we stop it?" he asked.

  


"I don't know sweetie. I really don't."

  


Connor looked up at her and she smiled sadly at him. He put his arms around her protectively and looked toward the window again. _I won't let him hurt her_, he thought. _I won't let anyone hurt Lexia._


	5. Attacked

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 5:

  
  
  


The next morning Connor woke to find the bed empty, and Lexia not in the room. He sat up fast, panicked for a moment. Then he saw a note was tapped to the door. He got it and it read: Connor, gone to get some clothes. Be back soon. At the bottom was a drawing of the tattoo she had by her eye.

  


Sighing with relieve he found some clothes that he'd left and decided to get dressed. He did and headed down stairs. On his way he could hear Gunn, Fred and Wesley talking.

  


"Most of us have encountered the demon twice, and we're still here," Wesley pointed out.

  


"Yeah, but we weren't conveniently born in the exact spot that thing hatched,"Gunn said.

  
"'The answer is among you.' Have I mentioned I hate cryptic messages?" Fred asked them.

Connor came out to the top of the stairs. They all saw him and stopped talking. Connor glared at them but said nothing and continued down the stairs. Wesley cleared his throat and walked closer to Fred and Gunn with a book in hand.

"Well, there's one thing I can decrypt," he told them handing Fred the book. "My sources have already confirmed that, without the little girl, the earthly contingent at Wolfram and Hart is cut off from the senior partners, effectively neutralized. However, it appears that was not her only function. I've just found an entry in Rhinehardt's Compendium for that same little girl—or, rather, the entity presenting itself as one. Her name is Mesektet."

"Hmm. I would have figured Tiffany or Brandy," Fred joked.

  


Connor decided not to listen in. Angel would explain things much more simply to him so he was fine. Besides the front door opened and the one person he really wanted to see walked in. Lexia. She had on a pair of worn jeans and black tank-top but looked gorgeous to his.

  


"Hey," he said going over to the door.

  


"Hey you," she greeted and swung the bag she carried so it tapped him lightly. "I've brought the necessary."

  


"Good, then you won't have to sneak off in the morning again," Connor said eyeing her.

  


"I wanted to let you sleep," Lexia told him shrugging.

  


"Hey Lex," Gunn greeted much to Connor's annoyance. "You movin' in?"

  


"For a while."

  


"Cool."

  


"See? They're nice," Lexia whispered to him.

  


"To you," he pointed out.

  


They moved to go upstairs when Lorne came in through the front door too. He seemed kinda rushed and excited. _More bad news_, Connor thought.

"Bad news, munchkins," Lorne said. Connor snorted. "Rumor mill has Dr. Feel-Bad attached to another slice-and-dice yesterday."

"Who was it?" Fred asked.

  
"Lovely woman. High and mighty white-magic shaman type, and that didn't even faze the Beast. Tore her poor heart right out of her chest." 

  
"The M.O. doesn't match," Wesley said shaking his head. "Mesektet had some sort of energy sucked from her. He didn't touch her heart." 

  
"Lorne, you didn't happen to catch the name, did you? Like, Ma'at?" Fred questioned looking off her computer screen.

  
"Yeah, th-that's the lady." 

  
"Another member of the Ra-tet," Fred confirmed.

"Ra-what?" Lexia asked confused.

"Ra-tet," Wesley said. "They're totems of the ancient god Ra."

"How could I not have known that?" she asked Connor sarcastically.

"He's taking them out one by one," Gunn said.

"The Beast?" Lexia asked Connor as the other's talked.

"Yeah," Connor said looking at them sourly. He took her head and headed upstairs. They were all acting as if he wasn't there anyway why should he stay?

On the way to their room Cordelia came out of hers. "Oh, hi you two," she said smiling then she noticed Lexia's bag. "Oh... are you staying?"

"Yeah. Angel thinks it would be better if we were all here since the Beast is probably after all of us now," Lexia explained.

"Yes, that would be a good idea..." Cordelia trailed off and stares into space.

Lexia looked at Connor questiongly and he let go of her hand and put both of his on Cordelia's arms, concerned. "Cordy? Did you get a vision?"

"Yeah..." Cordelia said her eyes wide. "I gotta go talk to Angel," she said and rushed down the hall.

Connor looked back at Lexia. "Does everybody you know have a superpower?"

"Pretty much," Connor said with a shrug. "You go a head and put your stuff away and meet us in Angel's room, k?"

Lexia nodded and headed down the opposite hall. Connor turned to follow Cordelia to Angel's room. Angel and Cordelia were close, talking quietly when he came in.

"So what goin' on?" he asked.

"I had a vision of the Beast," Cordelia explained. "But it felt like I was inside someone else."

"Who was it you were inside of?" Angel asked.

"I couldn't tell. But it did feel like there was more of something I wasn't getting. Like... I was just scratching the surface of something."

"What did the demon say?" Connor asked her.

"Don't know. All I got was the visual."

Angel sighed and walked over to a table that had an assortment of papers on it. "That doesn't give us much to go on, Cordy."

Lexia walked in and put her hand on Connor's shoulder. Cordelia looked over at them and frowned slightly. Connor wondered why but figured she was just frustrated with Angel. She followed him over to the table.

"But it's something. And a vision means the phone lines between us and the Powers That Be are still open. Maybe they'll send us a clue."

  


"As if there's somebody up there watching," Angel said sarcastically looking skyward.

  
"I was," Cordelia reminded him. "But I'm back now. So you're going to have to suck it up and deal because things are going to hell, and—and you're the leader. So lead." With that she walked away brushing past Connor and Lexia. Lexia looked after her.

"I guess she didn't take motivational speaking classes, huh?"

Connor looked at his dad. He shrugged, but he wasn't sure if Cordy's little speech hadn't done something to get his dad motivated.

+ + +

"The Powers are sending us a wake-up call, people," Angel said as he paced back and forth in front of the group. "Sure, we've been—I don't want to say demolished—beaten. And sure, it's slightly...demoralizing. But from here on out, we're on the offensive. We're gonna find out this thing's weaknesses, we're gonna go in prepared, and we're gonna fight smart. It's time to take down the Beast."

_Oh, yes please_, Lexia thought. _Let's all go marching to our deaths_. She looked at Connor who was sitting next to her on the couch but he smiled at her encouragingly. Ok, yes she was being pessimistic, the same thing she had chastisized him about last night, but she's never been in this kind of situation before. She didn't go and try to stop the apocalypse on a regular basis. But if Connor was ok, she could be too.

  


"Uh, we're all behind you, Angel, a hundred percent, but how can we be prepared when there's nothing on this thing," Fred asked timidly.

  
"And weaknesses?" Lorne mentioned. "It's not a sure bet El Destructo has any." 

  
"Everyone has an Achilles' heel," Angel sounded assured. 

  
"Yeah, but until we find his, we're gonna be coolin' ours, 'cause we got nothing without a new lead," Gunn said. As if he'd spoken to soon the front door swung open and woman wearing tight black pants, a red top, and elbow gloves walked in.

"Gwen," Angel said glancing at Cordelia.  


"Hi there. Long time, no hand-to-hand," Gwen said walking into the lobby. She looked at Gunn. "I remember you."

  
"That guy you killed?" Fred said stepping in front of Gunn. "Yeah, that's him."

  
"Kicked you in the face, too, didn't I, cherry? Sorry 'bout that. I really do try to avoid contact," Gwen drawled glancing at Angel. "Mostly."

"Do you feel a chill, coz I do," Lexia whispered to Connor.

  
Angel grinned and walked up to Cordelia. "Cordelia, this is—,"

  
"I know who she is," she interrupted. "Caught your little show on the omniscient higher plane channel. Thanks."

  
"So, you're the girl who makes his heart go pitter-pat. Figuratively, at least." Gwen looked to Angel. "You must be so happy." 

  
"I am. Not having the best week, to be honest."

  
"Tell me about it. I mean, really, tell me. Freak to freak. Is the world about to end, or what?"

  
"Something happen to you?" Angel asked concerned.

  
"Met with a client last night in the oil fields, which is odd, 'cause I bagged for this guy six years—big money—and he never wanted to meet before." 

  
"Fascinating as these details must seem to you, we're dealing with much more important stuff right now," Cordelia said snidely. "Apocalypse. End of the world."

"I'm feelin' it now," Connor told Lexia. 

  
"Also, while we were talking, he, um, got his chest punched out a big demon with a head made of rock," Gwen told Angel ignoring Cordelia. Wesley got interested at mention of the Beast and walked over. "Demon, OK? The whole nine—cloven feet and horns and teeth—," she stops when she sees Lorne walk out into the lobby. "He wasn't wearing lame though."

  
"Yeah, the evil ones can't pull it off. It gets camp," Lorne said easily.

  
"This client of yours," Wesley said being all investigative. "Was anything removed from the body?"

  
"Didn't see," Gwen said and turned back to Angel. "But you are, hands down, the weirdest person I know, so I figured I'd ask you what's going on."

  
"Um, excuse me—," Fred cut in holding a book. "Not that I don't still bear a grudge against you, because I do—but your client didn't happen to be a skinless saber-tooth tiger or composed entirely of light, maybe?"

  
"Light came out of his chest. How did you know?"

  
"You wanted a pattern. That makes three," Gunn told Wes.

  
"He's killing the Ra-tet," Fred said.

  
"What's a Ra-tet?" Gwen asked.

"Mystical totem-thingys," Lexia said tired of not being in the conversation. Gwen looked at her with a little smile. 

  
"A mystical order. Each totem representing a stage in Ra's journey across the sky. Wesley told her and showed her a diagram in the book. "Here's your client. Two others—these—are dead." 

  
"That means there's two totems left: Manjet and Semkhet," Cordelia pointed out.

  
"The last sighting of Majet was rumored two years ago in Belize, and Semkhet is said to live in a cave in Death Valley," Fred informed them.

  
"Then that's easy. All we have to do is find Semkhet and... protect him," Angel said.

  
"Yeah, well, won't that be a hoot," Lorne said flipping through the book. "Looks like Semkhet is puddy-tat to the world's scariest six-year-old."

  
"It could be dangerous," Cordelia told Angel.

  
"I'll take Gwen," Angel said eagerly.

  
"Gee, I feel all warm inside," Gwen said with a frown. 

  
"Well, shouldn't we all go? It might—," Cordelia started but Angel cut her off.

  
"We can handle it. Super powers. I'll catch her up on the drive," Angel said escorting Gwen to the door.

"Bye Dad," Connor called exaggeratedly. "Don't worry me and Lexia will protect everybody since we have the super powers and all."

"Oh, sorry guys," Angel said. "That's Connor, my son. Lexia his girlfriend. Let's roll."

"Cute couple," Gwen commented as the doors swung shut.

+ + +

Later Connor sat on the steps by the garden door. He was sharpening a sword and the other's were researching ways to kill the Beast. Except Cordelia and Lexia. Cordelia was walking around sighing annoyedly occasionally and Lexia had went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Otherwise, things were pretty quite.

Cordelia huffed then sat down beside Connor. "Is she prettier than me?" she asked him.

"Who?" Connor asked confused.

"That little, long haired, electrified, midriff hooch that your dad left with."

"Gwen? Hell, no" Connor told her surprised.

"Ok. Then why was he so excited?" Cordelia seemed just as confused.

"Probably just because he has something new to do," Connor explained. "This whole Beast thing is taking a while, so this is like a break for him. It'll probably help him in the long run. It's not that he doesn't want to be around you."

"You think?" Cordelia asked still looking unsure.

"Of course I'm sure. You're way better than her."

"Thanks Connor. You so sweet," Cordelia said putting a hand to his cheek.

Connor shrugged and looked away embarrassed. Suddenly the lights flickered and went off. Connor stood getting such bad deja vu it wasn't even funny.

"What the hell?" Gunn wondered.

"It's him," Connor told them holding the sword at the ready.

"Are you sure?" Cordy asked standing as well.

The front door swung open and the Beast entered in all his goat headed glory. He smiled menacingly at Connor.

"Pretty sure," Connor said taking a step down in front of Cordelia.

The kitchen door swung open and Lexia jogged out. "What's-," she stopped when she saw the Beast. "Crap."

"Lexia get back," Connor told her.

The Beast stepped down the few steps and advanced toward Lexia. Gunn had grabbed a ball bat kept under the counter and went into action. He wacked the Beast behind the knee then on the shoulder. The Beast turned to look at Gunn. He yanked the bat out of Gunn's hands and squeezed it, making it spilt in two. Gunn got in a battle stance but the Beast just grabbed him by the shirt and threw him over the counter.

"Charles!" Fred cried and ran to help him.

"Cordelia, hide," Wesley called to her as he loaded a cross bow.

Connor pushed her in the direction of the counter but instead she went to the weapons cabinet. Sighing he decided to let it go for the moment. Lexia was still unarmed against the Beast. Who was at the moment advancing on her. Connor ran in front of Lexia protectively. _He won't hurt her_, he thought for the second time in 24 hours.

"Your bravery won't save her," the Beast told him.

"Watch me," he told him and attacked. He swung the sword like a bat and hit him with the flat side. Connor didn't give him time to react he punched him across the face scrapping his knuckles. Then he kicked him in the chest making him stagger back. Lexia moved away so she was closer to the staircase. Then he stabbed directly at the Beast only to have the sword break in two. The Beast laughed deep in his throat, only to be cut off by Lexia jumping up and kicking him in the head.

Connor smiled at his girlfriends move but was surprised when the Beast swung quickly around, and with his long arms hit him in the side of the head. Hard. Stars spread across his vision and he saw red. Then black. _Lexia_... he thought before he passed out.

+ + +

"Connor!" Lexia yelled as he fell to the floor. The Beast turned and grinned at her. Feeling rage well up inside her Lexia jumped and launched herself at the Beast. She flipped and landed so her legs where on his shoulders and his head was between her knees. She grabbed his horns and jerked, disorienting him. He spun and jerked around trying to make her fall off. She punched him in the head several times, scrapping her hands.

"Wes! Shoot him!" she yelled trying to hang on.

He did so but the arrow just bounced off. "Shit," Lexia swore. Finally the Beast just grabbed her left ankle with his right hand and pulled. Lexia slid off and he held her in the air like a rag doll. Then he just flung her aside. Lexia soared so high in the air she actually flipped once before landing halfway up the stairs near the garden doors. Then she tumbled down.

Lexia stopped in enough time to see Cordelia run towards the Beast, a dagger in hand. The Beast simply grabbed her wrist and jerked the dagger away. Then he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Wesley tried to run to her aid but the Beast only kicked him down. Then he picked up Connor. No, Lexia thought. I can't... She felt her mind go fuzzy. The last thing she heard was Cordelia's screams for help.

~Sorry for the mostly transcripted chapter again, but that should be one of the last ones since the story is all in Connor and Lexia's POV~

  
  
  
  



	6. Saved

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 6:

  
  


Lexia woke when she felt fire spread into her hands. "Agh!" she cried sitting up. She was in bed, the power was back on and Angel was putting antiseptic on her scrapped knuckles.

  


"Ugh," she complained when the room spun and laid back down.

  


"You all right?" Angel asked.

  


"Oh I just feel like I fell off one of those fair rides that are way high up in the air and spin ya know?" Lexia said trying to reach up and feel her head but found she couldn't move her arm. "My shoulder's dislocated."

  


"Here," Angel said and put her hand on his shoulder. Lexia leaned her weight up and Angel pressed down, her arm popped loudly and she gritted her teeth. "Better?"

  


"Yeah," Lexia said shaking out her arm. "I'm really sorry Angel."

  


"Why? It wasn't your fault."

  


"Yes it was. I knew we couldn't take the Beast. But I didn't stop Connor and get everybody to run like I should have. Instead I got my ass kicked and Connor and Cordelia kidnaped."

  


"They'll be alright. They can handle themselves. And if the Beast wanted them dead he would have just killed them," Angel pointed out.

  


"Valid point," Lexia agreed. "What about the kitty that lives in the desert? Did you find him?"

  


"DOA unfortunately. Plus side we got that last one Manjet. Or Manny as he likes to be called," Angel said.

  


"Boy that guy gets around," Lexia complained. "Do you think we can track them?"

  


"I hope so. Right now rest. I'm going to go with Gwen and the gang to her place to lock up Manny. They're all gonna stay to protect him. I'll be back and we'll try to find them."

  


"All right," Lexia said sighing.

  


Angel patted her on her arm that wasn't damaged and left closing the door behind him. Lexia turned on her side and tucked her hand under her head. The bed next to her looked so empty. Now she knew how Connor felt this morning. She pulled his pillow over to her and hugged it, inhaling his left over scent.

  
  


"Connor," she whispered before she drifted off.

  


+ + +

  
  


Connor wrapped his arms tighter around her and sighed. She ran her hands through his hair, and rested her cheek on the top of his head. He smiled and nuzzled her neck inhaling her scent-

  


His eyes snapped open and stared into big brown ones instead of dark blue. Connor sat up and saw Cordelia was the one he's been cuddled up with. Then he felt that his head hurt, and he felt dizzy. Everything that had happened earlier came back to him. The Beast, trying to protect Lexia, then getting knocked out.

  


Looking around he saw they were in a large dirty room, that kinda looked like it belonged in a factory. There were no windows and only one, large, steel door.

  


"What happened?" Connor asked.

  


"We've been kid napped," Cordelia said sourly. "The Beast has us locked up in some factory. The door locks from the outside. There's no getting out."

  


"There has to be," Connor said jumping up and inspecting their surroundings. There were no vents, no other doors. He knocked on the walls to listen but none of them sounded hollow. The door had no knob on this side, just a steel plate where it had been. Frustrated Connor kicked the door but only hurt his foot.

  


"It's solid," she told him. "The good news is I think he's left us for dead."

  


"Why is that good?"

  


"Because that means he's not going to torture us," Cordelia explained. "The bad news is I bet it's a trap for your dad. Then again, we have been here for a while."

  


"Really?" Connor asked surprised. "How long?"

  


"I'm not sure, coz I don't have a watch. But we've both been asleep. I tried to stay awake but I just couldn't. You've been knocked out since we've been here."

  


"What happened after he knocked me out?" Connor asked worried.

  


"Lexia tried to fight him. She-," Cordelia stopped and looked at Connor worriedly. "Connor, she fought good for a while but, I don't know if she's gonna be alright."

  


"What?" Connor felt panic rising in his chest. "She's gotta be alright. She's half demon she could have-."

  


"He threw her all the way across the lobby," Cordelia broke in. "And she landed halfway up the stairs. Then fell all the way back down. She didn't look like she was gonna get up anytime soon."

  


"Oh God..." Connor murmured falling to his knees in front of her.

  
  


"I'm sorry Connor," Cordelia said touching his face lightly. "I just thought you should be prepared. Just in case."

  


"But she could still be ok right?" Connor asked hopefully. "She could survive that."

  


"Maybe," Cordelia said not promising anything.

  


Connor bowed his head. Lexia. His Lexia. If anything happened to her he would never forgive himself. He felt a tear slid down his face.

  


"Oh, baby," Cordelia said reaching out to him. "Ssh... It'll be ok. We'll be ok."

  


Connor let her take him in her arms. She ran her hands through his hair like Lexia did, and murmured soothing words. He felt safer.

  


"It will all be alright my sweet boy," Cordelia promised him

  


+ + +

  
  


Lexia scribbled a spell out of the book she had on the counter quickly. Angel came in as she was doing that. He looked surprised that she was there.

  


"I told you to rest," he said frowning.

  


"I did. I just got up a few seconds ago," she told him finishing. "I was thinking that it was pretty fishy that the Beast just took Connor and Cordelia. Why not kill them?"

  


"It's a trap," Angel confirmed her feelings.

  


"Right. So I figured we may as well not let him have his way. I heard of this spell before. It's to keep warriors from harm."

  


"Good deal. We should armor up thought."

  


"Oh yes, please."

  


He went over to the weapons cabinet and Angel got his broad sword. Lexia pulled the bag she had brought with her this morning out from under the counter. She unzipped it and pulled a large gun out that had prong looking things at the end. Angel looked over with widened eyes for a moment then smiled. "Flame thrower," he said admiringly.

  


"Yeah, I figured fight with fire and all that," Lexia looked at then threw it to Angel. He looked at it questioningly. "I'm a lousy shot."

  


"Oh," he said as she walked around the counter and got and axe from the cabinet. He put his broad sword back because the gun would be about all he could carry. She loaded up with another couple of daggers, sticking them in either of her boots.

  


"Ready?" Angel asked when she looked up at him.

  


"As I'll ever be."

  
  


Angel led the way out the garden entrance. Lexia held her axe in one hand and the slip of paper in the other. She only hoped it worked.

  


+ + +

  
  


Connor sat with his back against the wall as Cordelia paced back and forth. She had become more and more agitated as they waited. Connor felt... weird was he could think of. He was fully awake, but he didn't feel like he could move fast. When he moved his hands and stuff they felt weighted down. Why would he feel like that?

  


"Oh, God. I'm going nuts," Cordelia muttered.

  


"Maybe you should sit down?" Connor suggested.

  


"I can't I'm too wired."

  


Connor suddenly felt a slight pain in his arm. In the crook of his left arm. He looked at it and at first saw nothing then noticed a red circle there. He looked closer and saw a tiny pinprick in his arm. He frowned. Maybe it was a bug bite?

  


He looked up and saw Cordelia staring at him. He blinked and his vision seemed to shift around until it finally settled back the way it was supposed to. Then he felt dizzy.

  


"Connor," Cordelia said suddenly sitting beside him. "I'm scared. What if Angel's already been here and the Beast-."

  


"No," Connor said taking her hand in his. "Dad would think of something. I know he would."

  


"Yeah..." Cordelia said brushing his hair away from his face. "You're probably right. I just... I dunno." She shivered despite the fact it wasn't cold.

  


"Hey," Connor said putting an arm around her. "It'll be alright. You said so yourself."

  


Cordelia embraced him and rested her head on his shoulder. Connor tried to give her a reassuring squeeze but he felt limp again. He looked up at the ceiling and the room spun. He squeezed his eyes shut but that didn't help. Cordelia looked up at him.

  


"Are you alright?" she asked.

  


"I- I just need to lay down," he muttered and felt himself falling anyway.

  


"Connor..." he heard her say but she sounded far away. Connor looked up to see Cordelia kneeling beside him. She hovered over him, seeming to check him. Then she sat back and Connor's vision blurred again. He blinked and thought he saw Lexia and not Cordelia.

  


"Lex..." he muttered squeezing his eyes closed.

  


She leaned down close to him and kissed his closed eyelids. "Ssh...," she whispered. "It's just me." Now he _heard_ Lexia. Was he going nuts.

  


"Lexia?" he asked not feeling sure. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. Then he just tried to move his hands to feel her but he couldn't lift them.

  


"We could die here," she whispered and he felt, faintly, her hands move over his chest, and caressing his shoulders.

  


"We won't," he promised. "I won't let anyone hurt you..."

  


"Connor... I need to feel you close," she said. It still sounded like Lexia, and her hands seemed to know him. It had to be her.

  


"I need you too..." He muttered and felt his clothes slipping off. Then he felt her soft warm body on his and he knew it must be her. His Lexia.

  


+ + +

  
  


Angel and Lexia followed the scent of their loved ones down an alley. This one was a dead end, with a factory at then end. The door was wide open. They looked at each other. _Way too easy_, Lexia thought.

  


She knew Angel thought the same but he shrugged and led the way. The entered scanning the area carefully. Angel held the flame thrower up ready to use it. Lexia gripped the slip of paper feeling her heart pound inside of her. She hoped it worked, because she knew she couldn't fight. Last time she got whooped, and she was still hurt.

  


The two advanced forward following the scent. It went in a straight line, right through several hundred crates. Ones the Beast could jump out of any minute. And ya know what? He did.

  


"Angelus," he thundered.

  


They looked up and to the right to see him standing on top of several large crates. He smiled down at them. Then he leaped into the air and over them landing on the other side.

  


"Glad you could make it," he sneered.

  


Angel didn't wait. He fired the flame thrower. It was enough to make the Beast stagger back, but he didn't seem fazed much. Lexia threw her axe at him and it landed in the crook of his neck. Angel blasted him with the flame thrower again. Then he just wacked him upside his head with it. Then he kicked him in the face.

  


Lexia unfolded the slip of paper. She began to read of the words, "Warriors of old I call to you, bring forth your protective light."

  


Angel blasted him with the flame thrower one more time then stepped back so he was side by side with Lexia. "Protect these Warriors from across the shores. Bring forth your light this very night."

  


A white orb appeared between them. It grew and spread then flashed and there was a surrounding blue wall around them. Lexia looked at Angel as the Beast advanced on them. Angel stepped protectively in front of her. The Beast sneered at them and tried to grab Angel only to be blocked by the wall and he actually staggered back from the shock it gave him. He growled in anger and punched at the wall. It rippled and the ripples came back together and sent a white light shooting at him that knocked him off his feet.

  


The Beast growled in anger and stood again. "Fine Angelus," he said. "Have your little witch protect you. Magick won't save you from everything." With that he turned and stalked out of the building. Lexia sighed and the wall came down.

  


"I can't believe it worked," she breathed. 'Why did he keep calling you Angelus?"

  


"I have no clue," Angel said sounding just as surprised as her. "Well let's get them out of here."

  


They headed for the only door there was nearby. They could smell that Connor and Cordelia's trail ended here. The door was solid steel, or Connor could have probably broke through it. Angel stopped before opening it and smelled the air. He looked at the door strangely and Lexia felt worried.

  


"What is it?" she asked.

  


Angel didn't answer her just opened the door slowly. Light from the windows streamed in and Lexia and Angel looked inside. Only to see Connor and Cordelia naked, wrapped in each other's arms. Cordelia noticed the door open and looked up in shock.

  


"Angel," she said startling Connor.

  


"Wha...?" he wondered looking around. "Dad? Lexia?"

  


Angel said nothing, but he turned and walked away. Lexia felt nailed to the floor. Her hand drifted up to her mouth and she covered it to stop from screaming. She watched Connor look from her to Cordelia and the position they were in. His eyes went wide and he turned back to her.

  


"Lexia I-," he began but she didn't let him finish. She turned and walked away as Angel had done. Outside she gulped for air as if she'd been suffocating. She looked around but Angel was gone. Then she heard Connor running to the door.

  


She began walking off again, but Connor grabbed her shoulder. "Lexia-," she cut him off by whipping around and punching him in the jaw. He looked at her in surprise.

  


"Stay the fuck away from me," she warned.

  


Cordelia came up to the door, having put on her shirt and pants. Lexia looked at her and was sure she saw Cordelia smirk. Then she looked at Connor who looked like she had just stomped his puppy to death. That look killed her but she wouldn't give in. She turned and walked away.

  
  


~Muhahahaha! I'm sorry I had to go all Joss on you guys and give you a cute happy couple and then rip them apart! Oh the power! Now I know how Joss feels!.... Ok I'm done now...hehehe. Oh and I know that spell was a little lame, but I couldn't think of anything. Lol~

  
  



	7. Helpless

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 7:

  


After all that had happened Connor went back to his place. Cordelia tried to get him to go back to the hotel but he really didn't want to be alone with her. He was trying to figure out what happened, but everything in his head was muddled. He was talking with Cordelia, then Lexia was there, then she wasn't... It was all just so confusing.

He laid down on his bed and covered his head. None of that mattered. Lexia saw it all and now she hated him. The one person he had grown to trust, to love, hated him. Connor's sore jaw was prove of that.

Then there was a knock on the door. Sighing he went to answer it. Opening the door, the Beast stood there.

  


"Hello, Connor," he said.

  
Connor ran away from the Beast toward a beam, which he ran up, gaining momentum to use against the Beast when he turned his body and kicked it in the face. Connor landed on his feet in front of the Beast. The Beast growled at him but Connor leaped in the air to kick him again. The Beast grabbed his ankle and flung him back and forth against the ground. Then the Beast dropped him, reached down to grab his chest, and threw him across the room and out the window.

  
Connor fell out of his window, landing on the street. He groaned in pain as a black car pulled up. It was Angel's with Gunn driving, and Angel riding shotgun. Cordelia, Wes, Gwen, and Fred were in the back seat. Everyone jumped out when the car stopped. 

  
"Oh, my God! Connor!" Cordelia cries running to his side. She held his bleeding head in her hands.

Connor saw that Angel tried to see if he was alright, but it was now daylight and Gunn was rushing him to the shade.__

  
"Angel!" Gunn warned.

  
"What happened?" Angel asked him.

  
"The Beast. It's upstairs," Connor said.

  
"Maybe it need to do the ritual—," Wesley began.

  
"In the place where Connor lives," Gunn finished.

  
"We'll figure that out later," Angel said. "Everybody gear up. Wes, you got everything you need?"

  
"Ready."

  
"Gwen, go for the orb, the wings, whatever you can get your hands on," Angel told her. "Can't let him finish the spell. Gunn, you and I'll keep the Beast busy long enough for Fred and Wesley to work the portal mojo. Cordy—keep him safe."

  
"Dad...," Connor tried. There were so many things Connor wanted to say, but he hardly had the energy.

  
"It's OK, Connor. I'm here now," Angel assured his son. "Let's go." 

They all headed in and Connor let his head fall back in Cordelia's lap. She smiled down at him, but looked just as worried as he felt. Connor suddenly realized they had said something about the Beast doing a ritual.

"What's he trying to do?" Connor asked her.

"Trying to blot out the sun," Cordelia said pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping blood off his face. "That's what the totems were for. They had all gone back to the hotel, coz somehow Miss. Superslut let the Beast get past her. The last totem is dead."

Connor looked up at the sky. If the Beast succeeded it would soon be black. And Lexia wouldn't even...

"Did you tell Lexia before you left?"

"She wasn't at the hotel," Cordelia said.

+ + +

Lexia wiped the tears away from her face and laid back on the couch. She had come home instead of to the hotel. She didn't want to be around Connor or Cordelia. It would be too much. Nor could she sleep in the bed her and Connor had shared.

_I should have known_, she thought. _Why would he be different from any other guy? _Because he was. Connor had treated her better than anyone else. They had shared so much...

Lexia sat up. _No_, she thought._ I'm not gonna get all mopey about this. He ruined things not me._

Suddenly her head hurt. Lexia touched her temple lightly, and looked out the window. She found herself looking toward's Connor's apartment, even though she knew he wasn't there.

+ + +__

  


Connor now stood leaning against Angel's car. He was holding his sore ribs and looking up at the window he'd been thrown out of. _This isn't right_, he thought.

  


"I should be up there. I can fight it," Connor told Cordelia who was also looking up at the window.

  
"Don't worry, Connor. I'm sure they're doing OK."__

Connor walked around the car toward her leaning on it for support. His rib, well, they hurt like hell, and he felt kinda woozy.

  


"What's it like when you pass out?" he asked.

  
"What?" Cordelia asked distracted.

  
"Things get dimmer, right?"

  
"I guess. Wh—?" Cordelia trailed off as they sky grew dim. They look up at the sun as it is being blocked out by blackness.

+ + +

"They can just go off and have all the gross, icky, sex they want," Lexia said as she walked out of her kitchen carrying a bow of chocolate ice-cream. "I don' even care."

As she sat down on the couch the sky grew dim. Lexia looked out the window in surprise. As she watched blackness swirled around the sun until it was completely covered. The sky that was once bright blue, now turned black. Lexia felt dread well up inside her.

"Oh, no," she murmured.

+ + +__

  
  


Connor and Cordelia were waiting anxiously outside still. Finally the gang came out, all looking rather defeated. Cordelia ran up to Angel.

  


"Angel, we have to talk," she said but Angel just brushed past her.

  
"I can't believe we lost the sun," Fred said looking skyward.

  
"Angel, I think I figured it out," Cordelia persisted.

  
"So have I. The Beast knows me," Angel said still ignoring her.

  
"No, it doesn't. It knows Angelus," Angel finally looked at her. "Am I right? While you were upstairs, it came to me. I wasn't having a vision of the demon, I was having a memory of it."

  
"How's that again?" Gwen asked confused. _Join the club_, Connor thought.

  
"I told you, when I was a higher being, I'd experienced everything you'd ever done as Angelus. But since I've been back, my memory's been fading until the Powers decided to jog it, I guess. Angel, I saw you, long ago, standing in a field of bodies with the Beast."

  
"You knew this thing, and you didn't tell us?" Connor asked shocked.

  
"No, I couldn't come up against something like that and not remember," Angel defended himself.

  
"The answer is among you," Gunn said realizing. "It's what the little girl meant, isn't it? This was never about Connor, it's about—."

  
"Angelus," Fred finished.

  
"I'm telling ya. I don't know this beast. I'd remember," Angel insisted.

  
"This means you're a suspect for Manny's death," Wesley said. "If Cordelia's right, we should admit the possibility that this Beast may have some sort of power over you to make you do things, to make you forget." 

  
"And he has a plan. The rain of fire, taking down Wolfram and Hart, even blotting out the sun. I think now, those were only the first steps to something bigger," Cordelia said. 

  
"I don't know what to tell any of you, 'cause I don't know what the plan is," Angel said.

  
"No, but Angelus might," Wesley said. "There's only one way we're gonna defeat this Beast. We need Angelus."

Connor looked at Wesley in surprise. The man couldn't be serious. But he could tell by the look on his face he was. The Connor looked at Angel. He looked just as shocked. Connor swallowed. Did they really need Angelus right now?

+ + +

About a day later -or Lexia was pretty sure it was a day it was hard to tell since there was no sun- Lexia walked over to the hotel. She hated to admit but she needed to be there. Whatever was going down now was big, and though she was mad at Connor, Angel might need the help.

Lexia looked around as she walked. People were still freaked out, screaming, crying, and just standing and staring at the sky. You would think they would be smart enough to lock themselves up in their houses. Lexia was prepared though. She had hidden weapons on most of her body, but she was sure the mail carrier who looked as if he hadn't been home at all didn't.

Finally she came up to the Hyperion and went inside. Connor, Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn all turned to stare at her. They looked as if they had been having a heated discussion before.

"Hey," Gunn greeted her. "We thought you punked out like Wes, and Lightening lady."

"Me?" Lexia asked putting a hand to her chest. "Never."

"Lexia," Connor said rushing up the steps. "I-."

Lexia pointed a finger at him. "I'm still not talking to you," she said leaving him on the steps. She passed Cordelia who crossed her arms and looked at her defiantly. Lexia ignored her and sat on the couch. She looked up at Gunn and Fred who looked very uncomfortable.

"So what happened?" she asked.

"The Beast killed all the totems," Gunn said. "He used something from each of them as like a big light switch."

"Ah. Figures," Lexia muttered looking to the office where Angel was gettin' down. "Is he singing?"

"Lorne's reading him," Fred informed. "See, it was Angel and not Connor who was connected to the Beast. But Angel doesn't know how."

Lexia looked at Connor. He shuffled his feet and looked away. It didn't surprise her that Connor wasn't involved with the Beast. It did surprise her about Angel though. She knew he was all vampiric, but she thought he was a good one. As non-existent as they were.

"Why Angel?"

"Not actually Angel," Cordelia said. "His alter-ego if you will, Angelus. I met him once when we were in Sunnydale."

"Oh, that's why the Beast called him that."

"When was that?" Fred asked.

"When we were saving those two," Lexia said feeling her voice falter. _I will not break down_, she told herself.

Then Angel and Lorne came out of his office. Angel noticed Lexia and raised an eyebrow. Lorne did as well and went over to the couch and put a hand on Lexia's arm.

"Hey, peaches," he greeted her. "How ya doin?"

"He told you?" Lexia asked of Angel.

"No, but I got this sensory thing," Lorne explained. "I could tell."

"Ah."

  


"Did Lorne help you remember?" Cordelia asked Angel.

  
"No."

  
"Anything at all?"

  
"Nothing," Angel told her annoyed. Then he looked to Fred. "So what have we got?"

  
"A puzzle with missing pieces and some cryptic gibberish," Fred said looking through some papers. Then she gestured to some silver winged tool. "Angel, whatever power this device had got swallowed up by the Beast. It won't bring back the sun. Without the orb, it's as useless as—."

  
"Us," Gunn interrupted. "Face it man, we're losing ground. Pretty much the only victory we can claim is that we're not dead yet."

"OK, look," Angel said noticing the worried looks on their faces. "I know things haven't been going our way lately, but... things change. And we're not down for the count yet. But the Beast is not our only concern right now. 'Til we figure out how to end eternal darkness, it's a devil's playground out there."

  
"Just the way you like it, huh?" Connor said under his breath.

  
"Something to say, Connor? You got a problem?" Angel asked him.

  
"You," Connor said facing him.

Lexia smirked. She thought to say something, but thought if Connor said enough he might get his ass kicked. She felt he deserved it.

  
"Hey, Connor," Cordelia said.

  


"Acting like the big leader, like we don't already know what we know," Connor spit at him. 

  
"And what do you know?" Angel asked crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Everybody thought it was me. Maybe even I was starting to, but it was you all along. You're the one who's working with the Beast." 

  
"I'm not."

  
"Well, then, you're a puppet. Either way, everything's going to hell because of you. You're the reason that the sun is gone, that I don't have a home to go back to. You're the reason that she—," Connor looked over at Lexia and shook his head. "It's you. You're the reason my life sucks."

  
"Get over it," Angel told him.

  
"Uh, not to be a buttinsky," Lorne piped up. "But could we get back to the pep talky thing?" He laughed nervously. 

"Yeah, seriously tired of the family drama-rama," Lexia said glancing at Connor.

  
"I'm not one to turn down a little pep, but I'd much prefer we had a plan," Fred said.

  
"Here's one," Wesley said walking in through the front door. A man his with him clad in red from head to toe. "Him." 

  
"Who's he?" Angel asked.

  
"Wo-Pang. He can deliver Angelus to us," Wesley informed.

  
"I thought you said—," Gunn began.

  
"Me too," Cordelia interrupted.

"Angelus?" Lexia asked feeling totally out of the loop.

  
"Fred, would you mind brewing some tea for our guest?" Wesley asked Fred.

  
"Oh, um, sure. Right this way, Mr. Pang," leading him to the office. "Any special tea you..."

  
"How about Orange Zinger?" Wo-Pang asked.

  
"Ah. OK."

"That's the bad Angel right?" Lexia asked Lorne.

+ + +

Later Connor walked up the stairs wondering what Angel would do. He was in the garden now, brooding, after talking to Wesley. Wesley wanted the shaman to remove Angel's soul so Angelus could help them find the Beast. Angel felt none of them could handle Angelus, because he was supposedly such a mastermind. _Yeah, right_.

Connor started to go to his room-since he had no apartment to go to- when he heard humming. The door to a room next to Angel's was open slightly and someone was humming. As he drew closer he could smell the perfume Lexia liked to wear. He went up to the door and peaked in. Lexia was taking clothes out of the bag that had been in his room and putting them into drawers. Connor pushed the door farther open and she looked up.

"Hey," he said.

"Hello," she said coldly, throwing the last shirt down and shoving the drawer closed.

"Lexia we need to talk," Connor said coming into the room and closing the door.

"No," she pointed to the door. "Get out."

"You're being childish."

"Well, that's just a percent of how I would really like to act."

"I know I hurt you-."

"Hurt is an understatement."

"But I don't know what happened!" Connor said stepping closer to her. "All I remember is we were locked up, we were both scared, and then I just felt different. I was all woozy, and I needed to lie down. Then I thought you were there."

"Oh, please," Lexia snorted crossing her arms over her chest.

"I did," Connor protested. "I could hear you, and smell you. Then Cordelia-."

"Stop!" Lexia cried grabbing his arm. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it."

"Lexia," Connor tried to take her in his arms but she shoved him away.

"No, Connor. I can't even look at you, let alone touch you," she shook even as she was speaking, tears falling down her cheeks. "We haven't even been dating that long and you sleep with someone else! I trusted you Connor. I- I loved you."

"I love you too."

"But you ruined it all," Lexia told him. "We had something, so great, and beautiful. And you tear it apart in a moment of high emotions. Because you were scared."

Connor was taken aback. For some reason those words wounded him worse than anything the Beast could do to him. He looked at Lexia. Saw the tears streaming down her face, the pain in her eyes, and realized he was the one who put it there. Remembering his vow to let no one hurt her just a few nights ago, Connor hated himself. He had lost his soul mate.

Connor couldn't have said something if he tried. He just nodded slightly and left the room. He wanted to kill himself after the door closed and he heard Lexia fall onto the bed, sobbing.

+ + +

About and hour later, Lexia walked down the stairs and saw Fred rushing around, helping Wo-Pang. Everyone else seemed to be gone. Lexia frowned as she came to the first floor landing.

"What's up?" she asked as Fred went by.

"Getting ready to do the spell," Fred said sounding hurried.

"The spell?" Lexia asked. "The spell to bring back Angelus?"

"That would be the one," Cordelia said coming out of the office.

Lexia ignored her and went to the mini fridge to grab a bottle of water. Cordelia watched her for a moment and Lexia quirked and eyebrow at her.

"What?" she demanded.

Cordelia just shook her head and went to sit on the couch. Lexia rolled her eyes and took a sip. _Bitch_, she thought. Then Lorne comes in from the basement. He stops and looks between Cordelia and Lexia. _Must be picking up on the vibes_, Lexia thought.

"Is there a chill in here, or is it just me?" he asked Fred. "Anyways ladies, Angel cakes has asked that we more feminine types stay up here. All good with you?"

"Uh-huh," Lexia said and at the same time Cordelia said, "No way."

"Huh?" Lorne asked confused.

"I'm the only one who know's Angelus, they'll need me." 

"Super powers. They'll need me," They said at the same time again. The two glared at each other.

"Well, you can talk to Angel about that. All this I-am-she-man-hear-me-purr is not my area of expertise." He walked away leaving the two glaring at each other. Cordelia smirked and whipped around, saunter toward the basement. Lexia snorted and followed, imitating Cordelia's exaggerated hip swaying.

+ + +

Connor looked up as both Cordelia and Lexia came down into the basement. Cordelia headed straight over to Gunn and Wesley, while Lexia stood back as if to watch. Angel looked at both of them from where he was being strapped down in the cage.

  


"Cordy, I don't want you here," Angel told her.

  


"Yeah, tough," Cordelia said to him.

The shaman went inside the cage with Angel, shutting the door behind him. They gang all looked on.__

  
"It would be wise for your safety to add the second lock to the door," Wo-Pang advised.

  
"Do as he says," Wesley said to Gunn who locked on the second one. 

  
"Angel..." Cordelia said walking up to the cage. "You don't have to do this."

  
"Now she tells me," Angel said looking up at the ceiling.

  
"Close your eyes and don't speak," Wo-Pang ordered putting his hands on Angel's head. "Wo qing qui wu xin zi li. Kun, zhen, xun, kan, li. Ci wo tong ling. Ji fao muo li. "Wo hao zhao jue xin ze. Wan cheng ta de zi yuan."

As they watched the jar sitting on a table near by filled with white, swirling smoke. Lexia stepped closer, beside Connor. He looked over at her and she looked to him worried. He took her hand, knowing it wasn't his to take anymore, and gave it a squeeze. Connor was surprised when she squeezed back.

When the shaman stopped chanting Angel looked over at the group. No one said anything for a few moments. Then he smiled.

"Angelus..." Connor heard Cordelia whisper.

Then Angelus began to laugh manically.

~I made this chapter long to make up for not updating in a while. It may be hard for me to since school's started. Sorry!~

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Suspicion and Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  
  


Chapter 8:

Connor grabbed a stack of newspaper and swung it right into the vamps head. It staggered back, only to be replaced by another one, ready to fight Connor as well. They were everywhere. Every time Connor seemed to get the upper hand, another popped into the game.

One of the vampires pushed Connor into a metal canister. Connor turned and twisted the wheel on the top, releasing gasses from within. The vampires shrieked, disoriented. Connor managed to knock a couple of them down now, but two more vampires grabbed him by each arm, holding him for a third vampire. __

  
"Lemme guess. Out-of-towners?" Connor asked.

  
"Yeah, Tucson," the vampire who was advancing on him said.

The vamp came near and Connor kicked him in the chin, knocking him down. He pulled with his left arm, knocking the two holding him into each other. He released the trigger on the wrist sheath he was wearing, staking one. Another vamp launched himself at Connor and he dodged, causing him to fall into the window of the building behind him. He punched the vampire that had tried to triple team him before, throwing him into a billboard. The vamp fell to the ground, and turned to run. Only to come face to face with Lexia.__

  
"Welcome to L.A.," she told him as Connor hurled a stake at him, dusting him. She smirked. "Tourists."

_"_Where the hell were you?" Connor demanded.

"What?" she asked picking up the stake. "Oh, I was just getting ambushed. Sorry to worry you."

"So was I!" he exclaimed motioning to the piles of vamp dust. "If you had kept up-."

"If you hadn't run off like Batman," Lexia interrupted. "Neither of us would have been. But no. You have to be some big macho hero-," she stopped when she noticed a group of vampires coming down the alley behind Connor. He looked too and Lexia looked behind herself. Another group was headed down the opposite side of the alley.

+ + +

Later Lexia and Connor entered the hotel, beaten and exhausted. Connor held the door open for her, and tried to say something but Lexia just walked past him, down the steps. She was not gonna bond over slaying groups of vamps with him. Everyone watched her plop down on the couch except Cordelia who was all worried about Connor. Of course, Lexia thought.__

  


"Connor, what happened? Are you all right?" she asked him.

  
"They're coming from all over. Too many to fight," he said coming down the steps. He stopped when he realized everyone was staring at him. "What?"

  
Wesley came in from the basement before anyone could answer. "He wants blood." 

  
"I'll get it," Fred volunteered quickly. 

  
"Me too," Gunn jumped in and they went about getting Angelus some blood. Lexia frowned as Connor looked about the group, confused as she was. He turned and went up the stairs. Lorne looked over at Lexia and gave her a sympathetic smile. Lexia tried to smile back, but her lips just didn't want to form it.

"So what's goin' on here?" she asked going over and looking down at the monitor.

"Oh, Angelus is giving a good show," Lorne said. "He uh, let it slip. About Connor and Cordy."

"So that was- the- what with weird looks," Lexia mentioned of the others.

"That would be it warrior princess."

"Good," Lexia said whipping around and heading upstairs to clean up.

+ + +

After she had gotten cleaned up Lexia remembered Connor hadn't brought any clothes from his apartment. Apart of her just wanted to let him fend for himself, but she knew another part of her would like to see him running around shirtless so she went to Angel's room and stole a shirt from him. She headed down to Connor's room and knocked lightly. He didn't say anything for a long time, so she started to drop the shirt and just walk off. "Come in Lexia," he called softly.

Lexia opened the door but stayed in the doorway. Connor was indeed shirtless, his hair wet, and she could smell the soap from his shower. She held out the shirt.

"Hope you like black."

"Thanks," he said taking it and putting it on. "This is his."

"Well, he won't be using it. But I could ask the lame wearing demon," Lexia pointed out.

"No it's fine," Connor said. Lexia was about to turn to go when she saw Connor getting his weapons ready again.

"You're not gonna go back out are you?"

"Somebody has to."

"Don't be dumb," Lexia said which actually got him to look at her. "You're tired. They're too many of them-."

"I wanna get out of here, ok?" Connor broke in. "They all still look at me like it's my fault. Like I'm the one who's connected to the Beast."

"No, that's not it. They know," Lexia said meaningfully. "About what happened the other night. Angelus said something. So they know."

"Good," Connor repeated her from earlier.

"Connor..."

"Angel doesn't care, why should I?" he asked.

"Whatever," Lexia sighed crossing her arms and turning to leave. "You need to get some rest."

"You don't want to be with me-fine. You're not. But don't tell me what to do," Connor told her.

Lexia slammed Connor's door shut. She stomped down the hallway to her room. Why did it have to be like this? Why did Connor have to ruin things? _Why do I still have to love him?_, she wondered.__

_ + + +_

After Lexia left, Connor had so much tension in him he didn't know what to do. He would have liked to go out and patrol, but he was far too tired. _Wouldn't admit that to her though_, he thought.Then he decided to do something that was bothering him since they had brought Angelus back. Talk to him.

It was easy to sneak down to the basement. Everyone else was too busy fighting over Fred. _Looks like he got to them_, Connor thought.Angelus looked up as Connor came down the stairs. He walked up to the cage and looked at the demon that was now his father.

  


"Everyone's afraid of you," he began.

  
"Is that my shirt?" Angelus asked.

  
"Not anymore," Connor said pacing in front of the bars. 

  
"Looks good on you, son," Angelus said with a smirk.

  
"So did Lexia," Connor glared at him.

  
"I bet she looks good on a lot of people."

  
"Angel warned me about you. Said I should remember you're not my real father."

  
"Yeah," Angelus said standing. "That was a nice speech. Touching. I think it ended with you promising to kill me."

  
"I remember."

  
"Kind of unnecessary, don't you think?" Angelus asked as he neared Connor. "I mean, with your track-record, I'll be staking myself by the end of the day." 

  
"It's fine by me," Connor said walking away.

  
"Darla felt the same way," he said leaning against the bars. "It made her sick, you squirming inside her. So, she jammed a stake in her own heart, just so she wouldn't have to hear your first whiny breath."

"You don't know anything."

  
"Then there was Holtz. It disappointed him so much that he stabbed himself in the neck."

  
"My fa—," Connor caught himself as he got angry. "Holtz was a good man. All he ever wanted was for you to get the punishment you deserve. And you will."

  
"And now my boy's in love. All hearts and flowers," Angelus said of Lexia. Then he shook his head. "But you went and ruined it by boning a woman who's the closest thing to a mom you ever had. But, doesn't it freak you out that she used to change your diapers? Doing your mom, trying to kill your dad, and breaking your girlfriends heart. Hm. There should be a play."

  
"That wasn't my fault. It was your's," Connor said pointing at Angelus.

"What?" Angelus asked with a chuckle. "I didn't lock you in a room with Cordelia. The Beast did. All _I_ did was try to save you."

"If you had told us about your involvement with the Beast that would have never happened. And she would still-," Connor faltered as emotion rose up inside him. "Besides, you think I care what you say? Angel told me how you'd try to hurt me, how you aren't my real dad, just some animal in a cage. Angel's my dad."

  
"I think I'm gonna cry," Angelus said fluttering his eyelashes.

  
"That's what he told me. And he thought I believed him," Connor turned away remembering the conversation. "The truth is, Angel's just something that you're forced to wear." He looked back at Angelus. "You're my real father."

  
"You know," Angelus mused rubbing the bars with his hands and leaning his head to one side. "Me and that Lexia have a lot in common. Both been hurt by the same people, both got that demonic edge. Plus," Angelus smiled imagining things. "She's a real fox."

"You just stay away from Lexia," Connor warned.

"All that demoness...," Angelus widened his eyes and looked at Connor. "Things could take a while."

Connor stepped forward and slammed his hands against the bars. Angelus didn't flinch, just stepped closer. "I'm right here son," he said holding out his arms. "Come and get me."

  
"You'd like that."

  
"You couldn't take me anyway," Angelus shrugged and walked away from the bars. 

  
"We'll see," Connor threatened.

  
"Promises, promises. Don't make 'em, if you can't keep 'em."

  
"I wouldn't think of it," Connor said with a smirk. 

  
"It might be your best chance," Angelus turned back to Connor. "Don't disappoint daddy."

Then Cordelia came down the stairs. "Connor. Go upstairs," she ordered

  
"No," he said glaring at Angelus.

  
"Please, go upstairs."

  
"It's your lucky day," Connor said turning and going up the stairs. 

  
"Yeah. Go to your room, mama's boy," Angelus called after Connor. 

Connor's hands shook as he headed upstairs. When he entered the lobby he saw Lexia was there now, and had been watching the monitor. Their eyes met and Connor felt as if she was reaching out to him. He started toward her, but she looked down, then went and sat on the settee away from him. Connor sighed and went and sat down behind the desk. No matter what he did, he knew he wasn't going to get her back.

+ + +

Later Lexia was looking through some books trying to help find the Svea priestesses. She was coming up short though. It may have been because her book was in another language.

"Finding anything?" Lorne asked her.

  


"No," Lexia said sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I think mine's in Swahili."

  


"Oh. Well I think we can safely say Nordic Priestesses won't be in there," Lorne said taking the book from her. Lexia happily gave it up and leaned back on the settee. She was tired. Very tired. _Can I sleep for like, a year?_, she wondered.

"'Bout 25 minutes, depending on traffic. They're in Pacoima," Gunn said reading from a phone book.

Lexia stood and went over to the group. _Looks like they found them_, she thought. Wesley started giving out jobs.

"Connor, Cordelia you can come with me," Wesley said. "Gunn, watch the monitors. Lexia-," Wesley faltered as if he didn't want to ask her.

"You want me to guard Angelus," she guessed.

"Besides Connor I think you may be the only one strong enough to possibly fight him," Wesley said.

"I could stay too," Connor offered.

"I need one of you to go with me."

"I'll stay," Lexia said. "Besides I have something to help me ignore Angelus better than anybody could."

"What?" Fred asked interested.

"Korn," Lexia said holding up a C.D.

+ + +

Lexia headed down to the basement, C.D player in her back pocket, and a magazine in hand. Angelus looked up and whistled as she reached the landing.

"Ooh, hot stuff coming through," he said standing and walking towards the bars. "Are you gonna interrogate me too or did they send me rations?"

"No," Lexia said taking the only chair and turning it around. "I'm your babysitter."

"If I'm naughty do I get spanked?" Angelus asked leaning against the bars. Lexia smirked and straddled the chair, sitting down. "Ooh, never mind. Do that again. That was sexy."

"Would you still think I was sexy if I rammed you head into a concrete wall?" she asked opening her magazine.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "That would be kinda kinky."

"You're a pig," she told him slipping the headphones over her hears.

"Popular opinion today," Angelus mused before she hit the play button and he was drowned out by loud rock music.

+ + +

Connor followed Cordelia, and Wesley back into the hotel 3 hours later. He felt defeated, and nauseated. All the priestesses, and their family, were dead when they arrived. Been that way for days. Just the thought of what had once been a happy family, dead like that for days... Connor could just imagine the nightmares.__

  


"What happened?" Gunn asked.

  
"Vamps," Connor said.

  
"You didn't get the Svear," Fred noticed.

  
"No, the Beast did," Wesley informed. "Slaughtered the entire family." 

  
"Guess he found a way to kill them after all," Fred murmured.

  
"So much for our big priestess rescue," Gunn muttered.

  
"Are we sure Angelus doesn't know anything more?" Fred asked. "I mean, maybe we should talk to—."

  
"No. I think he's told us everything he's going to," Wesley said sadly.

  
"Which means our last-ditch plan, turning Angel into a soulless monster, it's a bust. If Angelus can't help us—," Gunn began

  
"It's time to bring back Angel," Cordelia finished for him.

Connor frowned and walked out of the lobby. He headed upstairs. Everything was too much for him. His dad not being evil, then being evil after all, Lexia leaving him, and Cordelia... She hadn't said anything about what happened in the warehouse since it happened. She acted as if nothing _had_ happened.

He went to his room near the end of the hall and shut the door behind him. Connor slipped off his jacket. He felt exhausted, his limbs weighted down. He plopped down on the bed and laid back, wanting to go to sleep, but knowing he shouldn't. That he needed to stay awake...

Then his door opened. He lifted his head up and saw it was Lexia, standing in his doorway. Her hair was down around her shoulders now, and the jacket she had worn over here was off, showing her shoulders were bared by a tank top. Connor sat up and looked at her questioningly.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Lexia stepped into the room and closed the door. She walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. Connor was surprised when her lips met his softly, sweetly. He started to say something when they broke apart but Lexia shushed him.

"Don't talk," she ordered, sitting in his lap. "Don't say anything. Just kiss me."

Connor put his hands behind her head and pulled her to him. Their kiss deepened as Connor closed his eyes and Lexia wrapped her arms around him. Connor let himself fall back onto the bed...

"Connor!" he heard. His eyes snapped open. He sat up and saw Lexia standing in the doorway, hair still up in a pony tail, jacket on. It was a dream, he realized.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Angel's soul. It's gone."

+ + +

Lexia watched the monitor along with Fred. Gunn was filling up her flame thrower with gasoline. Angelus looked up at the monitor.

  


"Awfully quiet up there," he mused. "I've had time to think, and I've realized something important. Being evil is wrong. I want to be good. I want to be Angel again. You hear me? I'm ready!"

  


"I'm ready too, fang boy," Gunn said testing the flame thrower.

  
"He knows, doesn't he?" Fred asked with a sigh. "That his soul's missing."

  
"Probably knew before we did," Gunn mused.

"Damn those vampire's with their super-senses," Lexia muttered flipping a stake in the air.

  
"I hope that shaman can help us," Fred said.

  
"That shaman should never have been brought here," Gunn told them. "Now, instead of just worrying about the big bad Rocky, we got Darth Vampire living in the basement."

"That was our best chance," Fred argued.

_Oh, great_, Lexia thought rolling her eyes. Just as she thought they would, they started arguing about Wesley. _At least_ I _keep my personal drama's to myself_.

  


"Like smacking your girl around?" Angelus said through the monitor as they argued. "I betcha Wes would never hit her. He's all proper and English. And that accent—Oh, chicks just love a good accent. Makes 'em all buttery in their nether regions. Isn't that right, Fred? You know, I had a bit of an Irish brogue back in the day. If you'd like, I could use it on you when I rape you to death... or—."

Gunn reached around Lexia and shut the monitor off. "Son of a bitch," he muttered.

_Well, maybe if you guys wouldn't argue every five seconds he wouldn't hear you, and then he wouldn't say shit_, Lexia thought. But it would do her no good to argue, so she just flipped the monitor back on but turned down the sound.

+ + +

Connor looked over at Lexia. It was later and they had gotten back from talking to the shaman. Connor had noticed a stressful air when he returned, especial since no one was speaking to each other. Now Lexia sat with her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. She did that often when she was worried.

Taking his chances Connor went and sat down beside her. Lexia looked over at him, then pushed her hair away from her face and looked down at the floor. "You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah...," Lexia said fiddling with the ring on her right hand. "There's just too much tension around here. Fred's mad at Gunn, Gunn and Wesley are mad at each other, and you and I...," she trailed off shrugging. "I just feel all caged in. I don't like that feeling."

"You're used to being on your own," Connor concluded. "Like me."

"Yeah, like you," Lexia agreed.

"Dammit!" they heard Gunn shout all of a sudden. He was looking at the monitor and suddenly ran toward the basement door. Connor and Lexia jumped up and followed, everyone else behind.

Connor saw Lilah turning to run when he reached the landing. Gunn shot Angelus with a trank dart and kept the gun pointed at him. Wesley followed Lilah into the dark corner she'd ran to and Connor started to follow.

"Connor," Gunn said. "Wait here. We may need you incase there's others."

Connor stopped and looked toward Angelus who was collapsed on the floor of his cage. Lexia picked up the crowbar Lilah had dropped. Connor pulled on the door of the cage only to find it still locked. He looked at Gunn who shrugged. Lexia flipped the crowbar over in her hand.

"Who's the dirty bulimic looking chick?" she asked.

"Lilah," Cordelia said coming farther into the room. "She used to work at Wolfram & Hart."

"What kind of brain fart made that witch try and let Angelus out?" Gunn wondered.

"How'd she even know he was here?" Lexia asked.

"She's a muckety-muck at Wolfram & Hart. It's her job to know," Gunn said.

"I thought all the lawyers were dead," Fred pointed out.

"Maybe she cut some kind of deal with it," Gunn said.

"You really think she has a connection with the best?" Connor asked.

"Having a partner would explain why the Beast has been tip-toeing around us, getting everything done," Cordelia mused.

"I don't think anyone human could actually kill all those people," Lexia said looking toward the unconscious Angelus. Cordelia rolled her eyes. _Why would Lexia saying that bother her_?, Connor wondered.

"But the Beast could still have minions doing his dirty work," Gunn pointed out.

"Morons," Angelus said waking up and trying to sit. "The big rock doesn't have minions. It is the minion."

"No it's not," Fred told him. "We've all seen what he can do."

"You've just seen the warm up act," Angelus sneered at her.

"What are you saying?" Cordelia asked putting a hand on her hip.

"I'm saying there's something bigger," he said standing. "Something worse. The Beast has a boss."

"Worse than the Beast?" Gunn asked doubtfully.

"That's- that's not possible," Cordelia stammered.

"How did you survive this long, being so retarded?" Angelus asked nastily.

"He's right," Lexia agreed. Connor looked at her in surprise. "Nothing that big can be that clever."

"10 points to the girl with the big rack-, oh I meant brain" Angelus said leering at her. Lexia shot him a dirty look. Connor clenched his fists.

"How do you know there's something worse than the Beast?" Connor spit at him.

"'Cause I have a brain, son," Angelus spit right back at him "The Beast I knew was big into smash and slaughter. Had the brawn to be really good at it too, but the big picture—not his strong point. But whoa! Flash forward. Now he's all rain of fire, destroying the Ra-Tet, blotting out the sun. Big moves for a guy whose head is made out of rock."

"Maybe he got smarter," Cordelia suggested.

"And maybe I'll sprout some wings and flutter away," Angelus said sarcastically fluttering his hands. There's something out there- more powerful, more vicous, pulling all the strings. Ooh, don't know about you, but I'm just dying to find out what it is."

+ + +

Lexia was up in her room, butting on her jacket. She put a stake in her sleeve, and another in her belt. Then she stuck a dagger in her boot. She then headed out of her room, and down the stairs. As she was heading down the stairs, Lilah and Wesley came in the door. Everyone looked at Lilah.

"What?" she asked. "No cake?"

"Where is it?" Fred demanded.

"What?"

"Angels' soul," Cordelia jumped in.

_Oh, God_, Lexia thought. _More suspicion and drama_. Ignoring the rest of the conversation she went down the last few steps and past Wesley and Lilah.

"Where are you going?" Wesley asked her.

"Patrolling," she said and went out the door. She started down the side walk but Connor caught up with her.

"Hey, you should stay here," he said.

"If I can't tell you what to do, you can't tell me," she told him.

"Lexia-."

"Connor, look," she said stopping. "I gotta get outta there for now. There's just too much going on. I'm stir crazy. And the best way for me to do that had always been kicking the crap out of somebody."

"I know," Connor said sighing. "Just be careful."

"I always am," she said and turned to go.


	9. Escaped

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 9:

  
  


Connor walked back inside with his head down and his hands in his pockets. To his surprise everyone was running, getting ready for something.

  


"What's going on?" he asked.

  


Gunn headed towards him, two shovels in one hand, a sword in the other. He held up the shovels. "We got some digging to do," he said with a grin.

  


+ + +

  
  
  


"Are you sure this is the right spot?" Connor asked as they dug a large hole.

  


"Well, the landmarks look like what Cordy described in her vision," Gunn said shrugging.

  
"Never fought a soul-eater before," Connor mused pushing aside another pile of dirt.

  
"Hmph," Gunn grunted. "And I'm not planning to. Cordy says this thing was buried by the Chumash a couple hundred years ago. Don't expect it to put up too much of a fight."

  
"So, what if we can't find it?"

  
"Then we're screwed. The skull of the soul-eater is the main piece of the spell Cordy saw. Without that—," Gunn stopped as his shovel hit something metal. "Clear it off. Ooh, thank you, Powers that Be! About damn time."

Connor clears it off to reveal a box. Gunn moves to unlock it.

  
"Want me to do that?" Connor asked.

"Uh, I got it," Gunn said as he opened it. A hand reaches up out of the box and grabbed Gunn's throat. "Oh!"

Connor stabbed the hand with his sword quickly. The thing shrieked and withdrew it's hand. Gunn and Connor quickly scrambled out of the hole.__

  
"You OK?" Connor asked him.

"Oh, I so don't need that kind of crap," Gunn said painting. "Let's just chop its head off and get—," they look into the whole and see it is no longer there. "OK, this thing is really starting to piss me off."

Suddenly the Soul Eater appeared behind Gunn. Gunn punched it and Connor started to attack but it only knocked him down. Then it was suddenly gone. Connor frowned as he got up. He turned and there it was. He punched, but it vanished before he made contact.

Connor waited a moment. Then feeling a presence he turned and kicked at the same time. He finally got it once, and the Soul Eater punched him. Connor started to fight when the Soul Eater put a hand on his chest. Connor tried to move but he couldn't. His limbs were immobile, and he just hung suspended from it's hand. It's hand started to glow and Connor felt a burning sensation. It grew more intense and he screamed. 

Gunn ran up to them and cut off the Soul Eater's arm with his sword. Connor Was released and stumbled to the ground. Gunn cut off the Soul Eater's head. Connor realized the arm was laying across his body and threw it away in disgust. To their surprise the head started withering a twitching until Gunn hit it several more times with his sword. __

  
"Nice," Connor said appreciatively as he stood.

  
"Yeah, sometimes you just gotta keep whacking," Gunn joked picking up the head. 

  
"You think it'll work?" Connor asked.

  
"It better. If there's really something badder than the Beast, we've got to get Angel back before it comes."

+ + +

After returning, and de-meating the skull, the gang was down in the basement, preparing the ritual. There was a circle of twigs with the skull in the center. Connor began lighting candles and notices something green on his hand. He shook it off absently, looking toward what was now his father.

  


"Have you all lost your mind?" Angelus asked them. "You're going to use black magic to restore my soul? People, this never goes well. Am I the only one paying attention?"

  


"Ten-to-one, the entire hotel gets sucked into a hell dimension," Lilah bet from where she was standing, watching.

  
"You, two—," Gunn said motioning to them. "With the shutting up."

  
"Talk about eleventh-hour desperation," Angelus said with a sigh. "Face it, you're grasping. No jar, no soul."

  
"You sound pretty desperate yourself," Connor told him lighting the last candle.

  
"Do you have the vial?" Cordelia asked Wesley and he handed it to her.

  
"Let's be realistic. Even if your precious champion makes another guest appearance, you can't stop the apocalypse. Bottom line is you're going to lose. The last thing you smell will be each other's blood," Angelus sneered at them as Cordelia poured the contents of the vial over the skull.__

  
"That's you're opinion," Fred said.

  
"You tell him, honey," Lilah said with false support.

  
"You, shut your fat mouth," Fred snapped at her.

  
"Look at you—," Angelus said with a chuckle. "Heroes. So tangled up in your own crap, you can't even find the world to save it."

  
"Does everyone have their talismans?" Cordelia asked and the group nodded.

  
"Hell, even Angel knew you never stood a chance. You want to know why he really let me out? Because he finally gave up. He knew you were all too weak and selfish to stop what's coming. He gave up his soul because he gave up on you," Angelus said grasping at straws to get them to stop.

  
"You're right. Buh-bye," Cordelia said gesturing with her hand and sending Angelus flying into the back wall. 

  
"In degera...," Wesley began chanting.

  
"Don't kid yourselves..." Angelus was struggling to stand.

  
"Fortis murus..." Wesley chanted on and the candles' flames suddenly grew larger and brighter. 

  
"I'll still be around long after your corpses rot."

  
"Kesta sartuum...," the building began to shake and Connor looked around. "Mundi ethericon..." White smoke raised from the skull and wafted in Angelus's direction.

  
"I promise you," Angelus growled. "This isn't..."

  
"Chimera nihilo," Wesley finished the chant.

  
"The end."

The smoke surrounded Angelus's's body, lifting him off the ground. He winced and screamed in pain. The skull in the magical circle exploded. The smoke disappeared and Angel fell to the ground. Everyone stopped a moment, waiting.__

  
"Angel?" Cordelia finally asked.

  
"I'm so sorry," he said his voice full of emotion. 

  
"It worked," Lorne said with a smile.

  
"Did it?" Connor asked frowning.

  
"Fred," Angel said as he sat up.

  
"What?" Fred asked.

  
"You came down the stairs. You had blood, and I grabbed you."

  
"I'm fine," she assured him.

  
"The spell, it worked. I feel it," Cordelia said looking at Connor. Connor shrugged and looked away. He didn't know what to feel at the moment. Happy, or angry at all the things Angelus had said to him.

  
"We have to be sure," Wesley was saying.

  
"Get Lorne to read him." Gunn suggested.

  
"Angel, are you aware of what's happened?"

  
"I'm back," Angel said standing. "There's, uh, something else. Something worse..."

Connor looked away wondering about Lexia. She's been gone a while. Was she alright? What would she think of this? Where...

  
"...Raindrops keep falling on my head...do do do do... Just...," Angel was now singing.

"Oh yes," Lorne smiled. "Yes! Sweet fancy B.J. Thomas, it's him. It's Angel."

  
"You sure?" Gunn asked.

  
"Yes, yes! The aura has totally changed, and the vibe screams soul! Ha ha! Oh, bless you and your beautiful land line to the PTB, honey!" Lorne cried hugging Cordy. "Mwa!"

  
"He's back," Connor said feeling doubtful.

  
"Then we can let him out," Fred said.

  
"No," Angel said shaking his head. "I'm staying in here. I'm doing what's best for the group."

  
"Since when is locking up the leader what's best for the group?" Cordelia asked hand on her hip.

  
"Since when does your vision come with a guarantee? For all we know, this spell is only temporary, and God forbid...," Angel shook his head. "I can give orders from down in here. And the new ones are: no more back-biting, fist-fighting, fraternizing, or vengeance. From now on, you focus on one thing: making it out alive. 'Cause I'm only going to say this once: what Angelus told you was a lie. I haven't and will never give up on you. We'll get through this thing. Together."

  
"I can't believe we didn't crush you people years ago," Lilah said sounding amused.

  
"Wes, you and Fred get back to Lilah's books. We need any new information we can on this new player. Lilah, make some coffee. Earn your keep around here," he ordered and they trooped upstairs. "Lorne, I want you out working low-pro real estate. If this thing is bigger than the Beast, it's gonna be laying down roots. And it'll need square footage." 

  
"Good to have you back, boss," Lorne told him and headed upstairs too. 

  
"In the mean time, Connor, Gunn, work damage control. Sweep the surrounding blocks for civilians. Save who you can," Angel noticed the look Connor was giving him. "Connor, it's me."

  
"I know," Connor said looking away and following Gunn upstairs. Angel was back. He was giving orders and getting right back into the swing of things. _This sucks_, Connor thought.

+ + +

Lexia slammed the vamp into a trash can, then flipped him backward so he landed inside it. Another came up behind her and she kicked him, then punched it across the jaw. As it spun around she whipped out a stake from her belt and staked it, then let her arms swing around to stake the one who had crawled out of the dumpster. The two vamps dusted together and Lexia let the dust settle behind her. She came up to the girl she'd been trying to save.

"Go home. They can't get you there," Lexia told her and walked off. She couldn't understand how people could still be stupid enough to run around this town, knowing what was going on.

She headed back to the hotel, deciding she'd been out long enough. She wasn't making much head way anyway, the demons just kept coming. _'Sides_, she thought. _This isn't my job. Not the slayer. Or even a "Champion"._

It was one of the only things Lexia was good at though. Sure she was smart enough, gone to school and all that. But nothing seemed to interest her. She didn't have the money for college, and she wasn't going to follow in her father's footsteps and lead the colony of holier than tho demons. So she was stuck.

Connor had been the one thing to make sense to her, but now even he was gone. Lexia sighed and shook her head. _Whatever is out there starting the apocalypse_, she thought. _Better now mess with me tonight._

+ + +

There was a crash and Connor looked over. Lilah was standing amongst all the broken coffee mugs that she had just dropped. Wesley was frowning at her.

  


"It's my inner megalomaniac. I, uh, rebel at serving coffee," Lilah said.

  


"Angel," Wesley called noticing him near the door. "I thought you were confined—."

  
"Change in plans," he said edging to the door. "Cordy actually talked me out of staying down there. Now, I've got my own mission."

  
"Which is...?" Connor prompted.

  
"Too dangerous, son. I'm afraid you can't go with me. I have to go save the world," he said over dramatically, paused, then left. 

  
"So, has anyone seen Cordy?" Fred asked emerging from the office.

Connor frowned and looked at the monitor. Cordelia was shown, lying in floor, locked in the cage. Connor looked back up at the door.

"He lied."

+ + +

Lexia walked toward the garden entrance of the hotel, hands in her jacket pockets. She heard a scream to her left and looked over that way. Seeing nothing close by she started to walk on, only to find herself nose-to-chest with... Angelus. Lexia looked up in surprise.

"Hey hot stuff," Angelus said grinning.

Lexia turned and ran the opposite way. She heard him laugh behind her, but didn't look back. She was about to cross the road when he was in front of her again, hands on her shoulders.

"Ah, c'mon Lex," he conjoled. "You don't have to run. I'm not gonna drain ya. Not big on demon blood, but I am gonna kill you. After we have some fun."

Lexia kneed him in the groin, then punched him in the nose. Angelus growled and punched her with the palm of his hand in her chest, making her stagger back.

"Why do all you super-bitches like to do that?" he demanded.

"You want a change of pace?" Lexia asked and jumped in the air to kick him in the face. She swung with her right arm to hit him, but her caught her arm and pulled her against him.

"I knew this was gonna be fun," he sneered at her.

Lexia head butted him. She went to sweep his legs out from under him, but he jumped, grabbed her leg and knocked her down. She landed on her back and he jumped on her, landing in between her legs.

"I was gonna ask Connor who was the better ride," he told her as they struggled. "You or Cordelia. But maybe I'll just find out on my own."

Lexia felt anger rise up in her. Clenching her teeth she bucked upward so he flipped over her and she followed. She grabbed his throat, and now she was on top straddling him.

"Let's go for a ride then, bitch," she told him. Then she stood quickly, still grasping his throat, and flung him so he went flying away from her, and landed against a nearby brick wall. He slid down and Lexia ran and grabbed his arm flinging him, face first into the wall again. Angelus growled and grabbed her by the hair. Then he rammed her head into the wall.

Lexia saw red spill into her eyes, and groaned. She fell to the ground and Angelus laughed at her. He pulled her up by her jacket and punched her across the jaw. Then he pulled her up to her feet. He steadied her so she was looking at him.

"Aww... what happened Lex?" he asked. "I thought we were gonna go for a ride?"

Lexia tried to punch him, but he ducked, laughing. She spun kicked, but he grabbed her leg and pushed so she landed on her butt. Angelus laughed again.

Lexia tried to stand, but couldn't get her legs under her. Angelus was about to advance on her again when they both heard, _Touch her and die_...

"What the..." Angelus wondered and looked around.

Lexia's father appeared in front of her. For once Lexia was glad to see him. Angelus looked up at the 6 foot 6 demon and took a step back.

"Hey, man," he said holding up his hands. "No trouble here. We was just playin'."

"Go now vampire before I make you sorry," he father spit at Angelus.

Lexia stood up and looked around her father. Angelus glared at her. "This isn't over," he told her. Lexia stuck her tongue out at him. He turned and walked away. Lexia sighed and felt her head, she was gonna have a bump.

Her father turned to look down at her. Lexia smirked at him and withdrew her hand from her hair. There was blood. She sighed and began to feel shaky. "Thanks," she murmured as things began to go dark. She felt herself fall, and her father catch her. That was all she remembered before everything went black.

+ + +

Later, after not having found Angelus, but finding Cordelia wounded, and Lilah dead Connor and the others watched as Wesley wrapped Lilah's body in plastic. Connor was so mad he felt like chopping someone's head off. He looked out the window, hoping to see Lexia coming along. She's been gone for a day. If Angelus...

He banged his hand on the window sill and everyone looked at him. "What are we waiting for? Why aren't we going after him?"

  
"No need. He'll be back," Wesley said looking at Lilah.

  
"How do you know?" Fred asked.

  
"We're the ones he wants to hurt," Cordelia informed her. "The people closest to Angel."

  
"I say we dust him before he gets the chance," Connor told her.

  
"That's just the kind of reckless thinking that allowed Angelus to double back on us, giving him the chance to—," Wesley trailed off as he looked at Lilah. "From now on, we all stay close."

Connor got lost in thought again as he looked out the window. He was gonna kill Angelus. No matter what Wesley, who now thought he was in charge, said. He hurt Cordelia, and possibly Lexia. He was going to kill him.

  
"The birth of a notion, kids," Lorne said breaking through his thoughts. "We use the sanctuary spell. That anti-demon-violence charm I used down at Caritas. It won't keep Angelus from making a house call, but it should keep carnage down to a minimum."

  
"That takes some doing, doesn't it?" Gunn asked.

  
"Well, I could put a call into the Furies. Maybe they could tech-support me through a quickie version."

  
"Magick again,"Connor sneered. "You people rely way too much on that junk."

  
"We use whatever tools we have," Wesley told him.

  
"Yeah, only it never really works the way it's supposed to. It's why we're here, isn't it? Why he's loose?"

  
"Cordy, why didn't it work?" Fred asked her. "The spell to bring Angel's soul back. Did we do something wrong?"

  
Cordelia shrugged. "I don't know."

  
"Yeah, and how did you get so fooled, Lorne? Reading Angelus wrong like that. You were so sure he was Angel." Gunn pointed out.

_Connor..._

Connor looked up. Who just said his name? He looked out the window for Lexia. It sounded like her but he wasn't sure. Connor heard the other's arguing and he looked to Lilah.

  
"We have to destroy her," he said.

  
"What?" Wesley asked in surprise.

  
"The body. She could have been turned."

  
"Sired, you mean?" Gunn cut in. "No, there wasn't enough time."

  
"You don't know that."

  
"The hell I don't. It happened to—."

  
"No, he's right," Wesley interrupted Gunn. "We can't take any chances. I'll take care of it."

_Connor_... he heard again.

+ + +

"Connor," Lexia whispered. She wanted him near her. Wanted to feel his arms around her. Feel his comfort. Where was he?

"C'mon kido," she heard. "You're alright. Time to wake up."

She felt someone put a cool cloth to her head. "Davis?" she asked trying to open her eyes. There were soft sheets covering her body.

"Hey, sweetie," he said as she opened her eyes. "Long time no see."

"What am I doing here?" she asked.

"You're father brought you. He said you'd been fighting and got knocked out." Davis frowned and dipped the cloth in a nearby bowl. "You really should stop doing that Lexia. One of these days you're going to get hurt."

Lexia pushed his hand away as he tried to wipe he head again. She sat up, the events from before coming back to her. Angelus had gotten out. But how? What was wrong now?

She pushed the sheet off her and noticed she was wearing some frock type thing that most of the women in the colony here wore. She rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her now curly hair. Someone had washed it. At least the bump was gone. Davis began to fuss as she climbed from the bed.

"No, Lexia. Wait-," Lexia began searching about for her clothes. "You shouldn't leave. You've been through a lot."

"He healed me right?" 

"Well, of course."

"Then I'm fine. But I have to be elsewhere now," she headed for the doorway to find her father and her clothes, only to have him be there before she could step through. Lexia stepped back startled. "Don't do that!"

"You wish to leave already?" her father asked her.

"Well, duh," she said hand on her hip.

"Fine," he said handing her the clothes. He turned and left before she could say anything else. Lexia shrugged and sat her clothes on the bed. She looked at Davis prompting him to leave. He only crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"What?" she asked tiredly.

"Whether you want to admit it or not you are too much like that man," Davis told her, putting his hands inside the sleeves of his blue robe.

"Unc, look," Lexia used the nickname she had for him. "The world is about to end. We all know it. There's only a few people I know of who have any idea how to stop it, and I wanna help them. If I stay here what good am I to anybody?"

Davis only looked at her sadly. He came forward and hugged her, then kissed her on the head softly and left her alone. Lexia looked at the door. She felt bad. Really, she did. But she knew this wasn't where she belonged. She may not know exactly where she did belong, but she was sure it wasn't here.

+ + +

Connor watched Fred and Gunn bring several spices in to Lorne who was talking on the phone. They were going to do that damn security spell no matter what he said about it. Connor sighed and leaned against the counter. He hated that nobody listened to him around here. They acted as if he had no idea what he was talking about. He was the Destroyer for crying out loud!

  


"Uh, 86 on the bloodroot, ladies. Anything else we can— Well, yeah, I have, uh," Lorne was saying reading the label of the spices. "Paprika, ginger, allspice, clove— Cloves? That'll work? Oh, got it. Beautiful. Hey, soon as FTD's delivering in the city again, expect a big "Thanks a Bunch" bouquet from me, girls. Ciao! Ha ha ha!"

  


"Looks like we got our home security spell," Cordelia told him.

  
"Right you are, missy," Lorne told her. "As soon as we sprinkle burnt clove dust around the perimeter, light a few candles, incant a few choice phrases, we'll be—."

  
"Hurry up and do it," Connor said pacing. "The sooner we quit playing with magic tricks, the sooner we find and kill Angelus."

  
"Wesley says we shouldn't go after him," Fred reminded him.

  
"I don't give a flying fuck what Wesley says. He's not my boss. Where the hell is he, anyway? How long does it take to chop off Lilah's head?"

  
Gunn frowned at him. "Boss or no, he's right when he says we stay together 'til we know what we have to do."

  
"I know what we have to do. Angel told me. Something goes wrong, I kill him."

  
"Oh ho ho," Lorne said pretending to be impressed. "Now you listen to him?"

  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Fred asked. "Angel's soul is still out there somewhere. That means there's still a chance we could bring him back."

  
"How many people have to die before we give up on that plan?" Connor asked exasperated.

  
"I don't know, Connor. How many people have to die without Angel around to save them?" Cordelia asked him putting a hand on his shoulder. Connor softened.

  
"It's way too late for that. I've seen his true face. And he's tasted blood. There's no going back now. He has to be destroyed. And I'm the Destroyer," Connor turned to walk out the front door. 

  
"Connor, don't do this," Cordelia pleaded with him. "It's too dangerous. Come back! You can't—." Connor turned in time to see Cordelia fall to the floor, in a faint.

  
"Cordy!" Fred cried running to her aid. Connor hurried back down the steps.

  
"Get her to the couch," Gunn said and he starting moving her. 

  
"What happened?" Cordelia asked coming to.

  
"You fainted," Fred told her.

  
"Oh. You mean like this?" Cordelia asked as she fainted again. 

  
"All right. Let's get her upstairs," Gunn said as the front door opened. Lexia walked through the door, her hair curled, and looking healthier than she had when she left. Connor frowned. She's been gone for about 30 some hours and comes in looking fine?

  
"I'll do it," Connor said picking Cordelia up and heading to the stairs. Fred followed.

"Hello to you too," he heard Lexia grumble.

Connor gritted his teeth and continued up the stairs. Lexia was fine, Cordelia wasn't. And if Lexia didn't care about him anymore he should focus his time on someone who did.

  


+ + +

  


Lexia walked out of her room after changing her clothes to some that were clean. She had to admit her father's healing made her feel better than she had in a while. But she looked so healthy from it Gunn and Lorne had trouble believing she'd fought with Angelus. As she was coming down the stairs Lexia saw Lorne sneak up behind Connor and try to hit him with a candlestick, but a force field stopped him and sent him a few feet backward. Connor looked up in surprise.__

  


"See? It works sometimes. Oh. It also smarts like the dickens," Lorne said leaning against the front desk in pain. 

  
"Sanctuary spell's working?" Wesley asked coming in from the basement.

  
"Yeah, like a charm," Lorne said sourly. "Literally."

"What's a Sanctuary spell?" she asked as she joined the gang in the lobby.

  
"Keeps demons from hurting mortals," Wesley said looking surprised to see her. "Good. It'll make this easier."

  
"Make what easier?" Gunn sounded wary

  
"Where's Cordelia?" he asked ignoring Gunn.

  
"Upstairs asleep. She still feels weak," Fred said.

  
"Make what easier?" Gunn prompted.

  
"We're going to bring Angelus in alive," Wesley said putting his coat on.

  
"No, we're not," Connor said standing.

  
"I thought you said capturing him wasn't an option," Gunn said.

"I'm so out of the loop," Lexia said holding up a hand.

  
"Changed my mind," Wesley said simply.

  
"Change it back," Connor demanded.

  
"We get rid of Angelus, then what?" Wesley wanted to know. "We still have a beast we don't know how to kill. We know it's working for something much worse, but we don't know what it is. We're caught in the middle of a maelstrom, and we can't get out without our champion. We're gonna save Angel, and I know who we need to help us do it."

"Well it better be superman, coz that guy is mean," Lexia said rubbing her head that didn't hurt any more. Wesley frowned at her and walked out the door. "I was just sayin'," Lexia defended herself holding up her hands.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. A little Faith

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again!

  


Title: A True End

  


Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_.

  


Rating: I'ma make it R for fun!

  
  


Chapter 10:

  


Connor was upstairs practicing sword-fighting on the balcony. He looked down to see Lexia sharpening an axe and Gunn loading his crossbow. Lexia hadn't said much to him since she's been back. He only knew that she had supposedly fought Angelus. Then why did she look as if she's just been to a spa?

  


"Oh, relax, boys- and er, girl. The spell's working. And I still got the slight migraine to prove it," Lorne said waving a hand. 

  
"Yeah, maybe so, but if Angelus shows up, I wanna be ready," Gunn told him.

  
"We are..." Wesley said walking into the lobby with a woman with longish brown hair. "Now."

  
"Suh-weet crib," she said looking around the hotel.

  
"Everyone, this is Faith, the vampire slayer," Wesley introduced her.

  
"Hello, Faith, I'm—," Fred said stepping forward.

  
"Fred," Faith interrupted. "Yeah, Wes kinda gave me the skinny on you."

  
"Oh," Fred said looking down.

  
"Faith?" Cordelia asked walking down the stairs into the lobby. "What the hell is she doing here?"

  
"Nice to see you too, Cor," Faith said with a wave.

"At least I'm not the only one she doesn't like," Connor heard Lexia mutter.

  
"She's here to help," Wesley said.

  
"Oh, gee, that's great," Cordelia said sarcastically. "Oh, wait a sec. Wasn't she convicted of murder and sent to a state correctional facility for like a gazillion years?"

  
Faith smirked. "Murder 2, 25 to life, for the record."

  
"So now you brought psycho slayer out of retirement to kill Angelus?" Cordelia asked Wesley.

  
"Cordelia, you have every right to feel that way about me," Faith said walking up to her. "You have no reason to trust me, but I don't have loads of time, so why don't we save it until after this is over. Cool?" Faith clapped her hands and looked away. "OK, let's get down to it. We're gonna keep this hunting party tight. Gunn, right?"

  
"Yeah."

  
"Love the name," Faith said appreciatively. "I hear you're a good fighter."

  
"I hold my own," he said with a shrug.

  
"That's a shame. You're with me, Wes, and the kid." 

  
"The kid has a name," Connor jumped in defensively.

  
Faith turned to him. "Connor. Arm yourself how you like, but I want you to carry the tranq gun. If I can't take him down, I want you to be ready to take the shot, yeah? In case anyone has any other ideas, this is a salvage mission, not search and destroy, OK?"

  
"No. Not OK," Connor jumped in. "You think you can just breeze in here, telling everyone what to do? You're not a part of this. If you think I'm not gonna kill Angelus if he comes at me, then—."

  
"Listen up, junior," Faith said getting up in his face. "When I need a blood hound, I'll call you. If Angelus needs putting down, I'll be the one to do it, not you. So... is there anything else you're not OK with? Good. Show me the weapons." Faith walked away from Connor.

Connor looked after her in surprise. Lexia then walked up to him her arms crossed. Connor raised an eyebrow at her.

"One of these days, you're gonna say the wrong thing to someone and they're gonna whip your ass," she told him. "So my suggestion is keep acting the way you are. Coz I think you need it and I'm sure she-," Lexia pointed to faith. "-wouldn't mind doing it."

__

Lexia smirked and walked away._ Well, I'm glad she finds this so funny_, Connor thought sourly. Then he looked over at Cordelia who was watching Faith. Then tension with these 3 were almost too much for Connor. Woman were complicated.

+ + +

Connor walked side by side with Faith as they searched for Angelus. Connor could smell the trail, which is mostly why Faith had wanted him to go along. Connor didn't care though because this gave him a chance to get Angelus. Despite what Faith and Wesley said about saving him. Connor looked over at her.

  


"So, vampire slayers. I was told about them. How come you're always girls?"

  
"I dunno. Better at it, I guess," she mused.

  
"You haven't seen what I can do," he told her.

  
"Let's not."

  


"He was here," Connor said as they came up to a chain link fence. " Just." 

Connor went through the opening and the others followed. 

"Eyes and ears peeled," Faith advised. "Watch the periph. Hey, nobody make a move until I—."

A vampire jumped out in front of them. Connor quickly swung his sword and cut off it's head. As it dusted Faith pushed him into a dumpster angrily 

  
"You deficient?" she asked. "What did I just say?"

  
"He was attacking!" Connor said defensively.

  
"You thought it was Angelus," Faith said letting him go. "You can't listen, you're no good to me." she looked to Gunn and Wesley. "Get him out of here. Someone take him back to the hotel."

  
"What?" Connor asked in surprise.

  
"Yeah, easier said," Gunn said. "The kid's got a history of not doing what he's told."

  
Faith nodded and glared at Connor. "He'll do what I tell him."

  
"Yeah, sure I will," Connor said sarcastically and started to walk off. 

Faith grabbed him and pushed him against the dumpster again. Connor pushed her hands away and tried to go past her but she did it again.

"I get it. You're a super-being," she said.

Connor pushed Faith and she slapped his hand away and pushed him again. Connor swung at her and she blocked and slapped his other hand away. The she pushed him again and pointed the crossbow at his neck.__

  
"Are you a murderer? 'Cause I am," she spit at him. "If it comes down to you or Angelus, you haven't shown me a thing to make me want to take your side."

Realizing she had him beat Connor raised his hands and backed away. He picked up his sword and walked away. He hated to admit it, but Lexia was right.

+ + +

Lexia sat outside in the garden with the axe she had sharpened earlier. She looked up to the sky and saw the ring of light where the sun should be. Then she looked around at all the plants and saw that there were a few that had begun to wither. Even the jasmine would die if the sun didn't warm it in the day. Lexia hoped Faith was as good as Wesley mad her out to be.

  


She heard the door open and knew it was Lorne coming outside. Lexia looked up at the sky again. "Do you think she'll do it?" she asked.

  


"Well, the girls got the motivation," Lorne mused coming to sit beside her. "She wants to do what she can to save Angel."

  


"He's done a lot for her," Lexia said, more for confirmation that just stating.

  


"Oh I'll say," Lorne said. "Had a little tumble with his blondie love for her. Hid her from the police and all kinds of things."

  


"Gee, what a good guy," Lexia joked.

  


"He is really. I know you're apprehensive of old Angel-face now coz of the rough n' tumble with Angelus-."

  


"It wasn't him," Lexia said quickly. "I know that. Angel's done a lot for me too, so I'm not all on the bandwagon to kill him or anything."

  


"You're also hoping things will go back to normal if Angel's back. Like, Connor hopefully won't be Cordy's lil love pup anymore."

  


"I was-," Lexia started defensively.

  


"Oh, honey please," Lorne interrupted. "My more perceptive powers may be on the cablowie but I know hope and love when I see it. You still love that boy. And he loves you. But you're both so damn proud you can't get over insulting each other for 5 minutes to kiss and make up."

  


"Oh well I'm sure he could just go kiss somebody else," Lexia said crossing her arms.

  


"What happened with him and Cordy was out of desperation. They thought they were going to die. Sometimes people just need the feel of another for comfort," Lorne said patting her arm. "I'm sure Connor had really wanted to be with you."

  


"Then why didn't he know I was coming to save him?" Lexia demanded, emotion rising in her voice. "Why couldn't he wait for me?"

  


"I don't know honey. Only he knows that."

  


Lexia looked at the green demon in surprise. He was right. Lexia had never given Connor a chance to explain himself. She would never know how Connor truly felt until she did. Lexia felt tears come into her eyes as she looked at the sky again. To her surprise she saw a stream of yellow light in the sky.

  


"Oh my god," she breathed standing.

  


Lorne looked up as well. The light hit the darkened sun, clearing the blackness that obstructed it light. Soon it was gone, and they sun shined over the city. 

  


"She did it," Lorne said standing as well. "The Best is gone."

  


+ + +

  
  


Connor looked up at sky and smiled. The sun was now streaming down, warming his face. Faith had done it. She killed the Beast.

  


Gunn and Connor headed into the garden of the hotel. Lorne, Fred, and Lexia were there looking up at the sky. Connor noticed tears on Lexia face, despite the look of happiness.

  


"Ooh-oo," Gunn said as they neared. "Check it out. We got sun."

  


"Well, ding dong, the Beast is dead," Lorne said. 

  
"I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life," Fred breathed. "Where are the others?"

  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lorne said to Gunn. "Let's hear the war stories. How'd you bring that monster down?"

  
"Well, it wasn't us," Gunn said. "Not Connor and me, anyway. We—."

"It was Faith," Lexia cut in.

  
"She must've fought it," Connor said. "The Beast must've attacked her, and she must— It's gotta be. Hey, where's Cordy? Does she know?"

  
"She's up in her room," Fred told him.

Connor ran up the steps past Lorne and Lexia. He saw Lexia turn like she was going to say something to him but he walked on. He didn't want to hear her snide comments right now. He ran up the stairs and into Cordelia's room. She was looking out the window, her arms crossed.

  
"Hey!" Connor said closing the door behind him. "Isn't it incredible?"

  
"It's...wonderful," Cordelia said sounding preoccupied.

  
"She did it," Connor said still feeling amazed. "Faith. She's... amazing."

  
"Connor—," Cordelia began.

  
"I mean, I had no idea what a slayer could do..." Connor thought out loud. Actually it reminded him a lot of Lexia... 

  
"A weakness for slayers? You're definitely his son," Cordelia turned and walked up to him. Connor, we need— There's something you need to, um—," Cordelia sat on the bed and he sat beside her. "I don't know how— Well, I know how, but, uh..."

  
"What? What is it?" Connor asked worried.

  
"We're having a baby," Cordelia said smiling.

Connor knew he must looked shocked. He felt shocked. His heart began to pound and he couldn't make himself say anything. _Oh, god. What will Lexia say?_, he wondered.

Cordelia lifted her shirt to reveal her swollen stomach. "Touch it," she said picking up his hand and drawing it to her belly.

  
"This— it's impossible. I— How could—?" Connor wondered.

  
"All I know is there's a life growing inside of me, and it's ours. We're connected now," Cordelia touched his face and kissed him gently. "You and me. Forever."

Cordelia kissed him again, more passionately. Connor didn't know whether to be happy, or cry, or even scream. When Cordelia pulled him back onto the bed he let her, not knowing how else to handle things, wishing the girl telling him all this was Lexia. It wasn't thought. Never would be. And now he had someone else.

+ + +

Lexia walked upstairs to her room. Everyone was already getting busy with the looking for Angelus, and Lexia felt she needed a rest. She walked past Cordelia's room and heard a noise. A kind of moan. Frowning Lexia took a step closer, and smelled a familiar smell. The same smell she smelt the night she and Angel found Cordelia and Connor together. The smell of them having sex.

Lexia bit her lip and walked on. Now she felt like she wanted to hurl. Maybe she would do just that. _Right on something nice and pretty of that whore's... _She went into her room and looked at the wall. Feeling the anger and pain of the past few days well up she punched the wall so hard the plaster and dry wall caved in and left a whole where her fist had been.

"That didn't help," Lexia complained and went to lay on her bed.

+ + +

Later that night Connor laid behind Cordelia on her bed, and stroked her hair. Wesley had called and told them what happened with Faith. She was pretty badly beaten but she would be fine. The strange thing was Angelus had killed the Beast. Not Faith.

  


"You sure Faith's all right?" Cordelia asked him.

  
"Yeah, when Wesley called, he said she was hurt pretty bad, but she's a slayer. They're really strong, right?"

  
"For a human. God, I can't believe Angelus killed the Beast," Cordelia said confused.

  
"He fought dirty," Connor told her. 

  
"Maybe this means we did the right thing, bringing Angelus back."

  
"Right," Connor said sitting up. "He's a real hero."

  


Cordelia sat up as well and looked into his eyes. "Connor, Angelus cannot fight his true nature. It's who he is. But by killing the Beast, he's made the world a little safer...for our family. You didn't have that the first time around, but now you will."

  
"I won't ever let anything hurt you—either of you," Connor promised. He would not let anything happen to his family.

  
"I know you won't," Cordelia said touching his face. "But just remember, this is ours. Nobody else needs to know how lucky we are."

  
"Are you ashamed of me?"

  
"What? No."

  
"Then why don't you want to tell 'em?" Connor asked feeling defensive.

  
"Because they wouldn't understand. Our baby is growing so fast, it would scare them. And that fear might make them want to kill it, like they wanted to kill you. But trust me, Connor. It won't be too long. They're all gonna know what's growing inside of me," Cordelia promised rubbing her stomach.

Connor smiled at her. He felt truly happy now. Despite the fact that Angelus was out there somewhere, he had a family. It may not have been what he wanted in the beginning, but he was given a gift. And he would never let it go.

+ + +

Lexia was downstairs as Gunn handed Fred, Lorn, and her tanq guns. They now would all have weapons since Angelus was on the loose. Even though there was the sanctuary spell, they still had to get Angelus alive.

  


"Meet your new best friend," Gunn was saying. "If super-bad shows up, the sanctuary spell should keep us safe, but—."

  
"But?" Fred interrupted. "There's always a "but." When this is over, can we have a big "but" moratorium?"

  
Lorne frowned at his tranq gun. "Did I mention that the only shots I'm good at involve Tequila?"

"Well get a little salt and maybe it'll taste the same," Lexia said sliding the last dart into her catriage.

  
"You don't think Angelus is planning a repeat performance, do you? I—I mean, he's gotta know we'd be prepared," Fred said.

  
"Doesn't mean we drop our guard," Gunn told her. "If he pops a fang in here, thwack him where it hurts."

  
"Yeah, good night not-so-sweet prince," Lorne agreed.

  
"I'm gonna recheck downstairs," Gunn said heading that way. "Make sure he can't creep in through any of the sewer tunnels."

  
"Yeah, if Lilah managed to break and enter—," suddenly Fred let out a little yelp and spun around to draw her gun on Connor. 

  
"Thought you were more of a Taser girl," Connor joked as Lexia looked up. Her teeth clenched and she looked away. She really didn't want him to be here right now.

  
"Sorry, I..." Fred was saying.

  
"How's Cordy?" Gunn asked.

  
"You know," Connor shrugged. "Tired, I guess."

"Maybe I should stop up and che—," Fred started toward the stairs.

  
"No," Connor hurriedly stopped Fred. "She doesn't want to see anyone yet. She just wanted some... soup. Really hot soup." 

"Well, yeah. Why would she need anyone else checking on her when she's got you to run and do all her bidding," Lexia grumbled as Connor headed to the kitchen. If he heard her he pretended no to. 

  
"Odd bird. And getting birdier," Lorne commented.

  
"You don't think he and Cordy are still..." Fred wondered aloud.

"I would guarantee it," Lexia said and headed to the garden entrance. "I'm going to check the perimeter."

Lexia got outside and gulped for air. Just being in the same room with Connor was hard for her to bare. How could she put up with much more of this?

+ + +

Connor came out of the kitchen empty handed. After hearing what Lexia had said Connor totally forgot what kind of soup Cordelia had wanted. He was going to go back and ask when he heard Fred talking to someone in the office. Someone that sounded like Angelus.

"I'll take these," he was saying. "And this. Thanks for nothing."

  


"I do know one thing," Fred said." You're out of your league. What you're up against—he'll make you its bitch just like the Beast. So, if you're gonna kill me, get it over with...Made in China?"

Connor saw Fred smash a glass pitcher over Angelus's head, then grab her tranq gun. She shoot at Angelus, but he ducked and the dart went into the wall behind him. He rolled on the floor toward the door and ran out of the office, Fred chasing after. Neither of them noticed Connor. Angelus ran past Lorne, and jumped up to the balcony. Connor ran up the other staircase to meet him at the top.

  
"Lorne!" Fred cried.

Looking Connor saw she had tried to shoot Angelus but got Lorne instead. Fred shot at Angelus again but he blocked it with the book he'd taken from her.

  
"Can't beat a good book," Angelus said pulling the dart out. Fred pulled the trigger again but the gun just clicked. "Too bad. I was just starting to have fun."

  


"Why stop now?" Connor asked now right next to Angelus. He lunged at Angelus but a force field stopped him. The force pushed him back, right over the balcony rail.

"Connor!" Fred yelled going over to where he landed on the lobby floor.

"Well, isn't that interesting," Angelus said smirking down at Connor.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Bad News

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again! 

Title: A True End 

Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_. 

Rating: I'ma make it R for fun! 

Chapter 11: 

Connor ran up the stairs after Angelus sauntered out of the hotel. Connor didn't know how long Angelus had been there, but it could have been long enough for him to make a surprise visit to Cordelia. If he had... 

"Cordy. Cordy!" Connor called entering her room. Looking around he saw it was empty. He heard a flushing sound from the bathroom. Cordelia walked out, wiping her mouth with a towel.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Are you OK?" he asked.   
  
"Sure," Cordelia said sourly. "Except for the morning sickness that can't tell time."   
  
"Good," Connor said relief washing over him. "I mean, that you're OK."   
  
"Why wouldn't I be?"   
  
"Angelus. He was here again."   
  
"Excuse me?" Cordelia said sounding angry. "He was?"   
  
"Downstairs. He caught Fred alone. Used a fake charm," Connor told her sitting on the edge of the bed. "Fooled her long enough to take everything we had on whoever the Beast was working for."   
  
"That son of a bi..."   
  
"He nearly killed Wesley outside the hotel, but Gunn and Faith chased him off."   
  
"Yay for our side," Cordelia said sarcastically.   
  
"Lilah's book, that stuff from Lorne's head--," Connor thought out loud. "Why does he want all that?"   
  
"I don't know, but whatever Angelus is up to, I'm thinking it can't be good," Cordelia said.   
  
"Just lucky no one got hurt this time," Connor said and thought about Lexia. She was supposed to be outside checking the perimeter. Why didn't she catch Angelus?   
  
"So, the sanctuary spell held up," Cordelia said breaking through his thoughts. "No demon violence in the hotel?"   
  
Connor swallowed. "Yeah, it worked." _On me_, he thought.

* * *

Lexia looked over to Lorne's sleeping body on the couch. _Poor guy_, she thought. _He get's knocked out more that I do._ Faith and Wesley were plaining there next move, and Fred and Gunn were talking about Angelus breaking in.   
  
"All I'm saying is, he tries dancing in here and pulling a Dark Shadows again, he's gonna get a dart up his evil ass," Gunn said reloading a tranq gun.   
  
"Well, his ass moves pretty quick," Fred told him. "He got the book and the Wolfram and Hart papers."   
  
"Not your fault," Gunn told her. 

"It was my fault," Lexia said. "I should have been watching more carefully. The only thing I can think is he got in before I went outside."   
  
"They think it was my fault," Fred motioned to Wesley and Faith.   
  
"Like they were any help," Gunn spoke of how Faith let Angelus go to save Wesley.   
  
"Super girl wouldn't have fallen for a cheap hunk of crap like this," Fred held up the charm Angelus used. Lexia took it from her and walked toward the office.   
  
"I'm just glad it was," she heard Gunn say with a softer tone in he voice. "If anything happened to you..."   
  
"Charles, can we maybe--," Fred started but was cut off but Wesley cocking a shot gin.   
  
"What're you doing with that?" Faith asked.   
  
"Changing the game," Wesley explained.   
  
"I thought we weren't going for the kill."   
  
"We're not, but if we get another chance, I want slow him down long enough to tranq him." 

Fred and Gunn walked over to Wesley and Faith and Lexia followed. Fred seemed disturbed by the shot gun just as Faith was.   
  
"By blowing his legs off?" Fred asked. 

"I would be ok with that," Lexia added. Fred shot her a look.   
  
"You want some help with that?" Gunn offered.   
  
"No. I need someone I trust to watch the hotel. Someone who can actually hurt Angelus," Wesley said. Lexia saw the hurt look on Fred's face and felt for her.   
  
"Oh, I'm all over that," Gunn said ready to kick some ass.   
  
"Be careful," Wesley said to Fred. "Next time he shows up, he might be packing the real thing." 

With that Faith and Wesley left. Fred looked down and walked to the counter. Lexia felt for her. But also she wondered what it would be like to be her. To be able to blame your faults on the fact that you were human. To not have to worry about fighting because you weren't strong enough, or didn't know how to fight. Lexia unfortunately didn't have that problem, so she knew it was her fault, and not Fred's, that Angelus had gotten away with everything they had on the Beast's master.

* * *

A few hour later Connor heard his name being called. He walked out of Cordelia's room, who was sleeping, and to the balcony. 

"What's going on?" he asked looking down. He saw Gunn with carrying a passed out Angelus, Lexia helping him. 

"Get down here now," Gunn said to him. "Leg irons too," he said to Fred who handed them to Lexia.   
  
"She found him," Connor said hustling down the stairs.   
  
"Wesley and Faith. Where are they?" Lorne wondered out loud.   
  
"Get him downstairs," Wesley ordered coming in the door carrying Faith, bloody and battered, in his arms. 

"Jesus..." Lexia muttered gazing at the older woman. 

"What happened to Faith?" Connor asked.   
  
Wesley gestured to Angelus with his head. "She captured him."   
  
"God, what did he do to her?" Fred wondered out loud.   
  
"Gunn?" Wesley asked whom had been watching Gunn and the two teens.   
  
Connor was gazing worriedly at Faith while Lexia brought the shackles for Angelus. Gunn had Angelus on the floor ready to carry to the basement. "We got it," he assured Wesley. 

"She looks not well," Lorn said coming over to Wesley 

"She gonna be--," Connor started to ask but Gunn shook his arm to get his attention.   
  
"Wake up, kid. I need you here." 

Connor nodded and picked up Angelus's legs. The two carried him to the basement door, Lexia opening it for them. They hurry down the stairs, or as fast at two men can go carrying someone Angelus size. Lexia opened the cage door for them and the two set him inside. Gunn began untiing his arms and legs and Lexia handed Connor the leg irons. 

They knelt, each securing the shackles tightly. Lexia flipped her hair out of her face as she stood and Connor got a whiff of the coconut shampoo she liked. He felt his heart do a little flop at the memory of her shiny black hair beneath his cheek. She looked over at him when she realized he was staring. Connor looked away, angry at Lexia still for letting Angelus get into the hotel earlier but angry more at himself for still wanting her. 

Lexia moved past him out the cage door. Connor followed and Gunn closed and locked the door behind him. Connor looked back at Angelus hating his father almost as much as he hated himself. 

"He fed from her," Connor informed them. "There's blood on his breath." 

__

They all watched him in the cage as he twitched suddenly. The three jump back, Lexia and Connor involuntarily taking battle stances, Gunn aiming the tranq gun at Angelus.__

_****_

"Kill you....kill....you..."he muttered.__

They all relaxed, but only slightly. Lexia turned and for a split second Connor thought she was turning to him. They both stopped and shared a look. Lexia looked like she was going to say something to him but decided against it with a shake of her head. Connor decided not to let her brush past him once more tonight. He turned and headed up the stairs to talk to Cordelia.

* * *

__

__

Lexia headed up the stairs, head down. Everyone except Gunn and Connor were with Faith and Lexia wanted to know what was going on. All the new developments kept her pretty much out of the loop. Which sucked 'cause it was all the more confusing. Her life was confusing enough. 

She went past Cordelia's door and heard her and Connor's mumbled voices. She smirked and started to go past when suddenly something -or rather somebody- was thrown against the door. Lexia paused. 

"What the hell is it with you and Faith!," she heard Cordelia yell. "As if I didn't see the way you looked at her. She cracked her whip, and you liked it. You were practically in her leather-clad lap!" 

Lexia raised an eyebrow. Connor was getting a straying eye already? _Boy he moves fast_, Lexia thought. _At least it wasn't just me._

Lexia went to Angel's room where they had put Faith. Fred and Lorne were near the bed talking and Wesley sat in the corner holding an ice pack to his bruised head. 

"How is she?" Lexia asked starting to close the door only to have Connor's foot stop it from meeting the jam. Lexia frowned and released the door, moving away to let him close it. 

"What's going to happen to her?" he asked gazing at Faith. 

"Actually, I'd like to start with exactly what was it, Wesley?" Fred demanded, crossing her arms. 

"Orpheus," Lorne filled in before Wesley could speak. 

Lexia felt her mouth drop open. _Of all the stupid ass ideas_... she thought. 

"Orpheus?" Connor repeated. 

"Some kind of opiate?" Fred guessed. 

Lorne nodded. "Mystical variety. Humans inject it. Vampires feed off the humans. Folks tried to deal it at Caritas--only folks I ever banned from my club." 

On the bed Faith twitched. "The 'vention," she mumbeled. 

"I've seen what this stuff can do to ordinary people," Lexia said. "Slayers are all super so this will pack quite the punch, huh?" 

"That's what makes it so dangerous," Lorne agreed. "Orpheus isn't entirely physical. It's an enchanted drug." 

"Magic," Connor spat disdainfully. "This is what it gets you." 

"That, plus the biting, makes for some serious psychic psychedelia," Lorne went on ignoring Connor. "And the more you take, the deeper you sink." 

"It leads you down to hell," Wesley said from the corner. 

Everyone was silent as they gazed at Faith. Bruised and bleeding and in a comatose state she looked pretty hopeless. Lexia shivered and looked away. 

"Fun," she said sarcastically and headed for the door. She marched out and turned the corner to her room. It was only when she opened the door did she realize Connor had followed her. She tried to slam the door in his face but he stuck his foot between the door and the jamb like before. 

"What?" she demanded. 

"I want to talk to you," Connor said determinedly. 

"Go talk to your mama, oh wait- I mean your girlfriend." 

Glaring at her Connor forced open the door and slammed it closed behind him. They glared at each other hatefully a moment as Connor took a step forward. Lexia wasn't going to let herself back down and set her jaw determinedly. 

"For whatever reason you have this attitude with me, get over it," Connor told her. 

"Ha! 'For whatever reason'?" Lexia mimicked. "Don't you think its a pretty good one?" 

"I don't care. If Cordelia and I bother you so much, maybe you should just leave. Don't you think its a little pathetic that your my ex and your staying at my house?" 

"Uh- remember psycho in the box?" Lexia demanded meaning Angelus. "With super girl out of the game you guys might want some help incase he -I don't know- wakes up and wants to go on a murderous rampage again?" 

"Oh so you can what, maybe let him go this time instead of letting him in the hotel to steal everything we have on the Beast master?" Connor spit back at her. 

"That's what this is about," Lexia suddenly realized. "You want to blame me for Angelus getting in here and stealing the info." 

"You were the one on watch," he pointed out. 

Lexia smirked and turned away from him. She wanted more than anything to give him a fat lip as she clenched her fist at her sides and strode to the opposite side of the room. "Fine. I take the blame. Now that you've made me feel like shit get out of my room." 

"It really kills you doesn't it?" Connor demanded striding toward her. 

"Huh?" Lexia asked confused. 

"That I'm happy with somebody else." 

Lexia swung her hand open palmed to smack him in the face. Connor caught her wrist, gripped it firmly and swung his own arm only to have Lexia catch him. They struggled for a moment, each trying to overpower the other. Lexia glared up at him breathing hard, and was sure she was giving Connor the same look he was giving her. She was about to kick him in the shin so he would let go when suddenly he pulled her forward, wrapped his arms around her, and crushed her lips with his own. 

Lexia's first thought was to push him away but her arms betrayed her and circled his neck. She kissed back just as hard, her hands sliding in his hair. They had never shared a kiss like this before; hard, brutal, and furious. Lexia involuntarily bit down on his bottom lip and Connor groaned holding her tighter. This action seemed to shock him at the same time and he suddenly let her go. 

Her body shouted at her in protest. Her lips felt swollen, her skin was shivering, and she breathed heavily. Connor's demeanor was the same as her own but he suddenly turned and headed for the door. 

"Now who's pathetic?" Lexia spit at him as he reached the door. He paused but only shook his head lightly and escaped out into the hallway. 

Her breath came out as if she had been holding it and Lexia sunk to her knees on the floor. A sob escaped her lips and she covered her face with her hands. As she sat crying on the floor she realized Connor was right. Lexia pretty much was staying there because of him. She couldn't stand it any longer. As soon as they got Angel back, she was out of there.

* * *

" There's only one thing we can do for Faith, now--" Wesley was saying as Connor headed down the stairs, away from Lexia's room. And temptation. "Finish what she started." 

"You mean, re-ensoul Angel?" Fred said. 

"Impossible," Connor declared reaching Wesley's side in the lobby. "We've been over this: no jar, no soul. No soul, no Angel." 

"It's not that simple, Connor," Fred assured him. "I've been doing some research--." 

"It _is_ simple. Angelus is all that's left. First he slaughtered Lilah, now he's killed Faith." 

"She's not dead yet," Wesley argued. 

"You're lying to yourselves," Connor felt anger well up inside him. How could everybody be so blind? "You all think that I'm taking this personally so that you don't have to, but inside you know I'm right. We need to put Angelus down." 

"I don't think so," he heard and they all turned to the far lobby door. A young red haired woman Connor did not know stood at the door. "I think you need a witch." 

Connor looked at Wesley who looked just as surprised as him. Fred had a secretive smile on her face as the woman approached. 

"Did I come at a bad time?"she asked. 

"Willow," Wesley greeted. 

"She's a witch?" Connor asked raising an eyebrow. 

"Yes," Willow said smiling "Hi. You must be Angel's handsome, yet androgynous, son." 

"It's Connor," he snapped angry at being also dubbed "Angel's son". 

"And the sneer's genetic. Who knew?" 

"God Connor, she's a guest,"Lexia said entering the lobby. "Must you be so rude?" 

"This is Lexia," Wesley introduced. "She's Connor's... er, friend?" 

"Hardly," she scoffed glancing at Connor. She nodded at Willow. "Hey." 

Connor crossed his arms and looked away. Why couldn't she just stay up in her room? It was bad enough what had just happened, but now he had to deal with her snide comments, and the puffy look in her face that let him know she had been crying. _God, why did I have to make her cry?_

"We should probably start the debriefing," Willow was saying. "Where's Cordy?" 

"Unfortunately," Connor jumped in before Wesley could. "The guy you're all trying to magically re-ensoul shot her with a crossbow. She's not up for visitors." 

"I think she'll want to see Willow," Wesley said taking her elbow to lead her to upstairs. "After all, she's traveled a long way, and they have a history together." 

"You're right," Connor said stepping in front of them. "I'll show her the way." 

Wesley frowns but moves aside. Connor motions for Willow to follow him as he leads her upstairs. He felt angry at everyone for not listening to him. _They all assume because I'm Angel's son that I don't know what I'm doing. Even Lexia_, he thought remembering how she second guessed his ability to fight the Beast. Connor knew that he would get the chance to prove them wrong. When he was a father he'd show them just what a man he was.

* * *

Later after Connor had taken Willow up to see Cordelia she had come back down all excited about an arrow thing. Lexia sat on the counter watching as she and Wesley prepared a spell in a bubbling jar. 

"Look, it's working," Willow said pointing to the concoction. 

Lexia leaned over and her nose wrinkled up in disgust at the smell. "It's like matches." 

"That would be the brimstone." 

_Yay. One more hellish thing we need_, Lexia thought. 

"I thought Delothrian's Arrow was used to protect good magic," Wesley said. 

"It is," Willow affirmed. 

"So, how can you use it to break the jar?" Lexia asked. "The Muo-Ping is a sacred object. It's holy or whatever." 

"It's glass, therefore crunchable. The sacred's what's inside. 'All life a container...'" 

"'...For the heart of all life.'" Wesley finished sounding pleased. "You've studied the Daharim." 

"It had to be something specific," Willow told them nodding. "There's lots of jars in the world--can't shatter them all. I mean, you could, but good things come in jars. Peanut butter, jelly, those two-headed fetal pigs at the natural history museum." 

Lexia and Wesley looked at Willow then at each other. 

"Come on, everybody loves fetal pigs," Willow said holding out her arms. 

Lexia shrugged and hopped off the counter. "You're one freaky chick," she informed Willow and sauntered off. She could hear them talking quietly but she didn't feel much like joining in. She flopped on the round couch to think. The only thing that came to mind was Connor. 

Why did he kiss her. Lexia had begun to think Connor was a flighty guy who just jumped from girl to girl. But he was sticking with Cordelia pretty steadily, almost as if he owed her something. _What would that be...?_ Lexia wondered. Was Cordelia holding something over Connor's head? 

"Lexia," Wesley said interrupting her thoughts. "We need to begin. Would you go get Gunn?" 

"Sure..." Lexia said standing distractedly. She walked over to the basement door and opened it. "Yo, Gunn! We're starting!" 

"Cool!" Gunn called back and headed up the stairs.

* * *

In the lobby Willow was beginning her spell. Fred walked around in a circle while Wesley and Lexia held burning herbs. Connor wrinkled his nose at the smell, but continued to watch. Just in case. 

"OK," Willow said. "Now all I gotta do is contact the spirit world, harness the Delothrian ebb, and focus it through my little marble of doom here. And we'll restore the Muo-Ping's entropic equilibrium." 

Gunn looked at the little metal marble doubtfully. "The jar goes smash?" 

"Smash-o-crash," Willow confirmed. 

"All I need to know. I'll be downstairs in case the Prince of Darkness wakes up." 

"Give a yell if you need any help," Lexia told him waving her bundle of burning herbs. 

_Like you'd be any help_, Connor thought sourly. _If she knew I thought that she'd kick my ass..._

"You ready?" Wesley asked Willow. 

She nodded. "Should be a snap." 

Suddenly bolt of energy hit Willow and sent her sliding across the floor. Everyone tensed but no one moved. This is new, Connor thought. Willow weakly climbed to her feat covering her ears with her hands. 

"Invadoria disparu!" Willow mumbled. She seemed to pause as if she heard something and looked at Wesley. "There's somebody in my head... Vetsche invadoria disparu!" 

"He's enormously powerful," Wesley explained to her. "It's the dead Beast's master. He contacted Angelus the same way." 

"He wants to stop us from getting the soul," Fred worried. 

"And be a pain in the head," Lexia pointed out. 

Willow stood straighter and held out her hand. The marble in it floated up and began to glow. Connor looked at her face and saw that her eyes had gone and empty black. 

"Open the window," Willow ordered. "Fill this stone. Inside, outside. Two made one." 

Another bolt of energy cracked through the lobby and knocked Willow head over heels again. Connor glanced around nervously and saw Lexia bit her lip and tug on the golden streak of her hair. He knew that she only did that when she was really worried. 

"Are you sure she can handle it?" Connor asked Wesley. 

Before he could answer Willow was up again, black eyed, speaking with suppressed rage. "Alesh ashtoreth!" Then the ground began shaking under neath them. 

"I think she can hold her own," Wesley said simply. 

"Do you feel that?" Lexia asked. 

"There's something evil rising in the hotel," Connor warned. 

Just as he suspected a huge demonic head appeared over the group. Connor clenched his fists angrily. He knew this would happen! Why couldn't anyone _ever_ listen to him!? The demon growled and shrieked crazily. 

"What the hell is that?" Lexia demanded. 

"Ignore it," Willow told her. Then she directed her attention to the glowing marble. "Find your target. Leave my side." 

The glowing marble took off like a shot as did Connor. If the demon was in the lobby it could be in Cordy's room too.

* * *

"Break the glass," Willow demanded to no one in particular. 

"Where's Connor?" Fred asked Lexia. 

"With his mama," Lexia told her sarcastically. She noticed him take off when Willow's marble had. 

"Let loose the soul!" Willow yelled.

* * *

Connor tried to burst into Cordelia's room to check on her but the door wouldn't open. He began pushing and banging on the door. "Cordy! Are you ok?" 

"Ah!" he heard her scream and then heard a crash. "Oh shit!" 

Worried now, Connor pushed and shoved the door with all his might. "Cordy! I'm coming in." Just as he got the door open he felt something hard crash into his head and shatter. He stumbled to the floor grasping his head in his hands. 

"Oh, Connor, I'm so sorry. I thought it came back," Cordelia told him tears coming to her eyes. "That horrible floaty head!" 

"Did it hurt you? Is the baby...?" Connor asked jumping to his feet. 

"We nearly got killed," Cordelia moaned holding onto his hands. 

Connor clenched his teeth in anger. "Willow's spell must've opened a gateway to something." 

"Evil," Cordelia agreed with a sniffle. "If she keeps at it, there's no telling what will happen. She's already let hell itself into this hotel." 

"I know," Connor said remembering the minor earthquake downstairs. "I've seen it. It's not safe for you here. I'm gonna make her stop." 

"Connor, you can't!" Cordelia declared preventing him from going out the door. "She's too powerful. But you can stop it. The reason for all of this." 

Connor stared at her knowing what she meant before she even said it. Something he'd been planing and dreading all at once. 

"You have to kill Angelus," she whispered.

* * *

In the lobby Lexia helped Wesley and Fred to light candles. There's was something bothering her though, and she kept looking to the stairway. There was almost a whispering in her head but she couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. 

"So..." Fred commented looking around. "Now Angel's soul is just floating around out there?" 

"Yeah, until I can channel it into the Orb of Thessulah," Willow told her lighting another candle. 

"Connor shouldn't have run off like that," Fred said glancing at Lexia out of the corner of her eye. 

"I'm sure he's just worried about Cordelia," Wesley assured them. 

"Do you ever think their relationship is maybe a little bit...icky?" Fred asked them 

"Icky?" Lexia said incredulously. "How 'bout gross?" 

Fred picked up a book and gave Lexia an attempted half smile. Lexia smirked and took yet more sticky herbs. They looked to Willow. 

"Ready when you are,"she told Fred. 

Fred nodded and began reading. "Quod perditum est invenietur..." 

"Nisi mort," Willow read. "Nisi al finitei. Te invoc, spirit al trecerii..." 

Lexia looked one last time up at the stairs. The nagging feeling had not left her yet but there was really nothing she could do. She was herb girl.

* * *

Connor strode steadily out of Cordelia's room. A stake was held tightly in his right hand, his other balled at his side. He paused briefly at Angel's door hearing Lorne singing lightly to Faith. Connor thought of the condition she was in and knew it was all Angel's fault. That just made what he had to do easier. 

Cordelia's words came back to him as he continued on down the hall way. "You have to kill your father. You have to. Now, before anything else goes wrong." 

Connor came out to the top of the stairway and looked down on the group who was preforming the spell. Fools. Even Lexia, who he had loved so much and thought so brave and smart, was letting some stranger lead her blindly to hell. 

"You know I have fought harder than anyone to save Angel's life," Connor continued down the stairs sneakingly. "But there comes a time when you have to weigh risk versus reward. And as much as I love Angel...as a friend... killing Angelus now is the only way to guarantee our family's safety. I know it in my heart now. You're not just protecting me. You're protecting the world." 

Connor reached the bottom step and began sneaking past the group. He looked at Lexia as more of Cordelia's words cam to him. 

"Sometimes one death can spare infinite pain." 

"What will I tell the others?" he had asked her. 

"They can't stop you if they don't know?" Cordelia had pointed out. 

"What about the sanctuary spell?" 

"I can fix it. We're special, Connor." 

As Connor reached the basement door he looked over to be sure no one had noticed him. They didn't seem to so Connor opened the door and closed it behind him as quietly as he could.

* * *

Lexia shivered and looked up suddenly. Willow was chanting still, Wesley and Fred absorbed in her words. Someone had just been behind them she was sure of it. Then she'd heard a click. Had someone gone into the basement? 

"Te implor doamne," Willow was chanting. "Nu ignora accasta rugaminte lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta sufletul la el." 

Lexia desperately wanted to go and check but she was afraid of messing up the spell. _Hurry up_, she silently willed. _Angel, wake up._

"Este scris aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil meu de a conduce." 

Lexia looked back up the stairway and was surprised to see Faith pounding down the stairs. _Or Faith_, she thought. _That works too_. 

"What the...?" Fred muttered next to her noticing Faith and now Lorne trying to follow her. 

"Asa sa fie, acum," Willow intoned and suddenly the orb glowed then dissipated completely. 

Faith was rushing to the Basement door. Lexia tossed aside her herbs and followed her.

* * *

"Hey, Gunn," Connor said as he reached the bottom step of the basement stairs. "You should know..." Gunn turned and Connor punched him, knocking him out. "They haven't finished the spell yet." 

Connor hurriedly opened the cage. Angelus was still out cold, chained to the floor. Connor knelt down over him. 

"I need you to fight," Angelus mumbled. 

"I'm pretty clear about what you need," Connor told him rearing back his right hand to plunge down the stake. Just as he was about to sweep it down someone grabbed his hand. Connor swivelled his head and was surprised to find Faith looking quite pissed off. 

"Break me off a switch, son," she said and pulled on his arm then pushed him up against the cage wall. "There's about to be a whoppin'." 

Connor punched her across the face. Faith whipped her head around and punched him back. Then she grabbed his neck and pushed him out side of the cage. 

Connor jumped back to his feet but Faith was already on him, kicking him in the chest and knocking him head over heels. 

Lexia was on the bottom step watching wordlessly as the rest of the gang followed. 

"She's alive," Lorne declared in disbelief. "It's a miracle!" 

Faith reached down and grabbed Connor. She punched him once across the face and Connor kicked her away from him. He rolled onto his shoulders and flung his weight forward landing on his feet. He lunged at Faith but she grabbed his arm, shifted his weight, and threw him over her hip. Connor skidded to a stop against the cage and he stood to leap at her again when hands grabbed his neck and pulled him against the cage. 

"Connor, it's over," Angel told him. "It's me. Really."

* * *

"All right," Connor was saying to the gang. "I get it. I messed up." 

"Hey, cheer up, punk," Faith told him nonchalantly. "That just makes you one of us." 

Lexia chuckled as she leaned against the counter. Connor glared at her. 

"Are you happy now?" 

"I'd be happier if I had it on tape," she told him. 

"Hey, you're just as smug as I am." 

"Yeah but I can admit when I was wrong. You have to get it beaten out of you." 

Connor looked as if he wanted to say something else but decided against it. He stomped off to sit on the steps. Lexia shrugged and leaned her head back. She hadn't down much but all the stress of the day was getting to her. _I could use a nap_, she thought. _Or a coma_. 

Willow and Faith finally departed after Angel gave Willow his thanks. Then he turned back to the crew and gave them all a sheepish look. 

"So, we're back," he stated. 

"It would seem," Wesley agreed. 

"Look, I know things have been--" 

"Sorry, Angel," Cordelia interrupted him as she walked down the stairs. The gang turned to look and Lexia felt bile rise up in her throat. A look at everyone else said they shared her feeling. "But if this is the speech about how the worst is behind us, you may want to save it for later." 

Cordelia stopped on the landing wearing a black flouncy skirt and top that showed of her round pregnant belly.**__**

* * *

AN: finally updated!! Sorry so many transcripts but this should be about the last that is mostly transcripted I swear.****


	12. Bad, Bad Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again! 

Title: A True End 

Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_. 

Rating: I'ma make it R for fun! 

Chapter 12: 

Lexia watched in shock as Cordelia continued down the steps, rubbing her large belly. She looked at Connor who came up to Cordelia smiling shyly. Lexia looked away covering her mouth with her hand. 

"I know it's a bit of a shock," Cordelia was saying. "I mean, nobody's more shocked than me." She looked at Connor. "OK, maybe him." 

There was another beat of silence as everyone stared at her. Lexia's heart seemed to have stopped beating in her chest. Air couldn't seem to get to her lungs. She also thought she might spew al over Cordelia's slutty maternity clothes. 

"Um, sorry to be so..." Fred finally said. "But I'm, like you said, kinda shocked." 

Lexia looked over at Angel who looked like she felt. He sat down on the couch and looked down at his hands. With that Lexia backed out of the lobby but nobody noticed. Then she headed upstairs to her room. After she packed all her stuff she was gone.

* * *

Connor watched Lexia leave. He was the only one who seemed to notice. He'd seen the look on her face and felt his heart flip over. _No_, he told himself. _Don't let her make you feel guilty. She doesn't know what it's like._

"Yeah, 'cause hasn't it only been like..." Gunn was saying. "Definitely shocked." 

"I haven't been hiding," Cordelia told them. "Or ashamed, or anything... It's just with the Beast and his psycho master, and then Faith and Willow and all that dramarama, not to mention--" 

"Angelus," Angel broke in finally speaking. 

Cordelia looked at him strangely as she spoke. "Everything's just been so Clash of the Titans around here. I didn't wanna be a distraction." 

Just then Lorne walked in from the garden entrance and stopped when he saw Cordelia. "Wha...? Put me on the short bus, and send me off to clueless school. A mystical pregnancy right under my beak and not even a tingle. Huh." 

"How long have you known?" Wesley asked. 

"Some time after we brought forth Angelus," Cordelia said. 

"That's a couple of weeks," Gunn pointed out. "Looks more like eight months." 

"The last time Cordelia was impregnated, she came to term overnight," Wesley told them. 

"That was a crawly evil demon thing," Cordelia argued. "This is different." 

"Still," Fred broke in. "Shouldn't we try and find out...what's in there?" 

"We already know," Connor told them having heard enough. "Our baby." 

"Well, congratulations," Gunn said to Angel. "You're gonna have a grandspawn." 

"You don't know what it's like," Connor spit back. "How scary it is. I'm gonna have a child, and all you can do is joke 'cause you don't like me," Connor said then turned to Cordelia. "We shouldn't have told 'em." 

With that Connor also left the lobby, going upstairs. How could they all just make jokes? Didn't any of them care how he felt? How confused he was? Especially after trying to kill Angel... How could Cordy have been wrong?

* * *

Lexia sniffled as she threw some clothes into her bag. Then she turned to the dresser again, pulled open a drawer and ended up pulling it right out of the dresser. It clunked to the floor and she sighed exasperated. She bent down and swept all of her clothes out of it then crammed them into her bag. 

Then she stopped and plopped down on the bed next to her bag. She covered her face with her hands and sighed. _I don't even know what to do_, Lexia thought. 

Just then somebody knocked on her door. Lexia quickly wiped away her tears and sucked in her breath. "Yeah?" 

Angel opened the door, peering in. He saw her face and he frowned then came completely in the room. 

"How are you?" he asked. 

Lexia snorted. "I've been better." 

"Yeah, me too." He looked at her stuffed bag and nearly torn apart dresser. "Going somewhere?" 

"Yeah. I thought since you're fully functioning Angel again that you guys don't need me. I figured it was time to mosey on." 

"I know things seem tough now-," Angel began. 

"I can't stand seeing them anymore," Lexia cut in. "I thought I could make up with Connor but now... It's over. So I should go and let them be." 

"Lexia I will need you're help. That thing inside Cordelia is evil." 

Lexia looked up at Angel in surprise. "You really think that about your grandchild? I mean, you don't really know that." 

"I do," he insisted. "Besides what I figured out about Cordelia." 

Angel sat down next to her in the same position. He looked troubled, yet determined all at once. Lexia was confused though. What was there to figure out about Cor... _Oh my god_, she thought as it all clicked in her brain. 

Then Angel began describing his plan.

* * *

Connor sat in Cordelia's room alone, in the dark, thinking. He was going over what the gang had said in his head, their thoughts, expressions... _Like Lexia's when she saw Cordelia_, he thought. 

That wasn't what was really bothering him though. What was really getting to him was the fact that he had almost killed Angel. He had almost killed his father because Cordelia told him to. _Why did I even listen?_, Connor wondered. 

Then Cordelia came in and shut the door behind her. "I've been looking all over for you," she told him. "Connor, what they said...you can't let it bother you." 

Connor shook his head. "I don't care what they say." 

"Really?" Cordelia commented. "Is that why you retreated to the Fortress of Solitude?" 

"It doesn't make sense," he said standing to face her. 

"Freaking out over pregnancy's pretty much the M.O. with the gang around here." 

"Not them. You. All that stuff you said about Angelus. And Willow...she--she didn't open a gate to evil. She put back Angel's soul," Connor rambled. "I almost killed him." 

"But you didn't," she pointed out. "Angel's back. Everything worked out. Everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn't always seem that way." 

"How can you say that?" 

"Think about it. You sinking Angel to the bottom of the ocean. Getting kicked out of the house. Then coming back and us getting kidnapped by the Beast..." Connor thought of the moment when Angel and Lexia opened the door and the look on their faces. "All of those moments and a million others led to this miracle." 

"But sending me down to the basement. I had the stake," Connor told her stepping closer. "What was the reason for that?" 

"I thought our baby was in danger, and all my instincts told me that killing Angelus was the only way to protect it," Cordelia explained. 

"But you were wrong," he said sighing and sitting down. 

Cordelia walked over to him and knelt in front of him, grasping his hands in hers. "What's important is that when I needed help, you were there for me. Now I know I can trust you. Completely. No matter what. See? Everything happens for a reason." 

She smiled at Connor and stood. He thought about what she said and realized it was right. Little moments changed everything and you shouldn't second guess it. Then everything should work out for the best. Right? 

"Connor, before our baby comes, I might ask you to do some things...for us," Cordelia told him holding up a baby outfit and folding it. "And I want you to remember, there's always a reason." 

"I'll remember," he promised.

* * *

Lexia headed down stairs her bag swinging and hitting her in the hip. She noticed the gang in Angel's office watching him do something. She decided if she could just kind of sneak out it would be best. Angel already knew what she was doing and that was all that mattered. She stopped a moment and looked back seeing the gang all hunched over Angel's desk. Then she quietly opened the garden door and stepped out. 

She went down the right side of the stairway and met Lorne on the way down. "Hey peaches," Lorne greeted using the nickname he had decided to give her. "You're not sneaking out on us are ya?" 

"No," she answered giving him a little smile. "Angel knows I'm going. I just felt it was time for me to go on home. Do my own thing for a while." 

"Oh that's too bad," Lorne commented. "You won't be able to see the new reading able me." 

"Oh you fixed yourself?" Lexia asked. 

"Not quite. I've got to do this whole ritual thing," he told her holding up a cloak. "Coz this just ain't my style." 

"I would think not. Well, I see ya guys around." 

They hugged and Lexia continued down the stairs. She headed for the gate but before she could leave Connor came around the corner, arms crossed. 

"What?" she asked exasperated. 

"You're just leaving because of what I said to you," he told her. 

"So? Isn't it what you wanted?" 

Connor opened his mouth to talk but didn't seem to know what to say. He dropped his arms and shook his head turning away from her. "I don't know what I want." 

Lexia snorted and moved around him. "Join the club." 

"What?" Connor asked touching her arm to stop her. 

"You act like you're the only person on earth that doesn't know what to do," Lexia exclaimed flinging a hand out. "And sorry to surprise you, you're not any different from anyone else. Everyone feels that way in some point in their life. It's human nature." 

"It's not the same. Our circumstances are different," he insisted. 

"Oh, because a teenage boy got a girl pregnant. Yeah, that never happens in this country." 

"Not one that grows at a rapid rate and no one knows what it really is!" Connor exclaimed. 

"It's your baby. Remember?" Lexia asked then turned and walked briskly away. She had to get away from Connor and the rest of them before she went crazy. Besides, she had to prepare.

* * *

Lorne entered the darken warehouse and paused by the door giving the dusty space a once over. 

"Oh fudgcicle," he said frowning. 

He pulled out a flashlight and continued inside to a table where he began setting up candles and lit them. Then he put some kind of orb with a cloth over it on the table, herbs, and the other magickal like. Lorne didn't notice that above him, on the catwalk Cordelia watched him. Luckily _she_ didn't notice Lexia watching her from higher up on some steel beams. 

Cordelia began sneaking toward the stairs and Lexia followed silently, slinking along the beam. She noticed Cordelia pull out a dagger from the folds of her shaw and vaguely wondered where she got it. Cordelia continued down the stairs moving surprisingly quietly for someone in high heels. Lexia looked over towards the door and felt rather than saw Angel's presence there. 

When Cordelia had made it about halfway down the stairs Lexia jumped to another beam, closer to the cat walk. Wrapping her legs around the beam, she let herself hang upside down from it grabbing the railing of the catwalk. She released the beam and slowly stood on the catwalk as to not make any noise. Lexia looked down and saw Cordelia advancing on Lorne who was ooing and awing to some chant. Lexia pulled out the steel shackles from her jacket pocket that Angel had wanted her to use. She also had a tranq gun tucked into the back of her belt. 

As Lorne continued on with his ritual Cordelia inched closer to him. Lexia headed down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible. When she reached the bottom Cordelia was directly behind Lorne and raising her arm to stab him. That's when somebody hit the lights. Cordelia looked up then spun around only to come face to face with Angel. 

"Angel..." She said then moved to flee the opposite way only to have Wesley and Fred there pointing tanq guns at her. She turned around to see Lexia who smiled at her and swung the shackles she had smugly. 

Lorne turned to Cordelia removing the cloth from the orb he had revealing it was only a Magic 8 Ball. He shook it and asked, "has Cordy been a bad, bad girl?" 

"All this time it was you, wasn't it?" Angel demanded 

"Took you long enough to figure it out but nice turn with the Lorne bait," Cordelia told him. "You know, there was a time I would've seen that one coming eons before it ever crossed your tiny little mind." 

"Because you're so clever." 

"On the scale of you to me, pretty damn," Cordelia quipped. 

"Until now," he told her. 

"All good things," she commented with a sigh. "So, what finally tipped off the great detective?" 

"Tongue, slip of. You called the baby 'my sweet.' Same phrase the Beastmaster kept using when he was whispering in Angelus's head. Thought it was a bit femme for the booming macho act." 

"That's it?" Cordelia demanded. "I get away with bringing the world down around you and two eentsy words tingle your spider sense?" 

" What we already knew," Wesley informed. "What he found out as Angelus. All the circumstantial led to you." 

"Plus that skanky outfit," Lexia threw in for her own benefit. 

"Just needed to be sure," Angel finished. 

"Little late to the table, but I might have a few scraps left," Cordelia told them. 

"Why are you doing this, Cordy?" Fred asked her. 

"This thing isn't Cordelia," Angel told Fred. 

Cordelia smiled and shook her head. "Is that what you think, hero?" 

"She would never hurt her friends like this." 

_Ok..._ Lexia thought._ Enough of the chit chat_. 

"Or maybe you just don't know me very well," Cordelia told him. 

Angel walked up to Cordelia and got in her face. "I don't want to know you." 

Cordelia raised her hand to pull the knife on Angel but he grabbed her wrist then her neck. He squeezed choking her. 

"Where's Cordelia?" he demanded through gritted teeth. 

Just then the skylight crashed in as Connor jumped through it.

* * *

Connor crashed through the glass skylight as he saw Angel choke Cordelia. He landed near them and Angel reached a hand out to him. 

"Connor, wait!" Angel said. "Cordy's not what you think." 

Ignoring him, Connor grabbed his arm, pulled then pushed knocking Angel into Wesley. Lorne raised a tranq gun at him and shot, but missed. Connor turned and kicked him in the head knocking him out. Fred took aim next but Connor grabbed her arms and redirected the dart toward Angel when he tried to stand. He turned to see Lexia about to shoot him but Cordelia pushed her causing her to miss. 

"Ya know what?" Lexia said to her but didn't finish. She punched Cordelia across the face knocking her to the ground. 

Angry Connor charged toward Lexia who swung the shackles she had up hitting him in the nose. Connor reacted and punched her across the face as she had Cordelia. Lexia's head whipped back around and she looked at him in shock. Ignoring the sinking feeling that hitting her had given him he grabbed the lapels of her jacket and hefted her off her feet. Then he heaved her away as hard as he could cause her to hit the floor hard and slid right into a pillar. She cried out in pain but stayed down clutching her side. 

Connor reached for Cordelia's hand. "Come on!" 

Cordelia took his hand and he turned to run. They passed Angel who was on his knees struggling against the affect of the tranquilizers. Connor looked back to see Cordelia smirking at Angel as they ran out.

* * *

After running what seemed like a 100 meter marathon Connor led Cordelia to another abandoned warehouse. Cordelia entered looking around and rubbing her belly. Connor looked out the door making sure no one saw them then shut it. 

" Are you sure Angel won't be able to follow us?" Cordelia asked when he turned to her. 

"I was careful," Connor promised. 

"How careful?" 

"Why were they trying to hurt you?" he asked. 

"You know why," Cordelia told him stepping closer to him. "They're afraid of you, of me, what our love has created. They were gonna kill it and me if you hadn't come." 

"I didn't know where you were. I thought something bad might've happened. Followed your scent," Connor lied. He'd been following Lexia. He hadn't really believed she was going back to her place. "But, I never thought... How could he do that?" 

"Because he hates you. I didn't wanna believe it, but he does. "He hates you for being with me. He can't stand the fact that he lost, that he'll never know the feel of my touch or the warmth of my lips," Cordelia told him touching his cheek and kissing him lightly. "You were right about Angel. He's an animal, and he's turned everyone against us." 

She hugged him and Connor wrapped his arms around her. Lexia's shocked look when he'd hit her came to his mind but he pushed it away. She'd hit him too, and was trying to kill and innocent baby so she wasn't any better. The fact that she and the rest of the gang lied to him filled him with anger. Connor didn't need them anyway. He had a family. 

"I'll kill them all before I let them hurt you," Connor whispered in her ear. 

"My sweet, sweet boy," Cordelia said leaning back to look up at him.


	13. Labor Pains

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again! 

Title: A True End 

Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_. 

Rating: I'ma make it R for fun! 

Chapter 13: 

Lexia held her arms over her head as Wesley pulled tape tight across her ribs. It hurt like hell and made it hard for her to breath. She looked in the mirror above her dresser and saw that her jaw was bruised and swollen and her lip was split. Lexia grimaced and looked away. All that because she had hit the Beastmaster who was more than likely caring hell spawn. This was a great job. 

Wesley pulled the last piece of tape tight across her rib cage and looked up at her. 

"Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?" he asked. 

"Naw..." Lexia said pulling down the bottom of her shirt over the tape. "They would just drug me up so I'd be all goofy and no help to you guys." 

"You shouldn't be helping. You should get some rest." 

"I'm alright," she lied as she tried to put on a long sleeved white button down on and winced when she lifted her shoulders to high. Angel came in the door as she did that. 

"I think Fred could take you right now," he said shutting the door behind him. 

"Give her some credit," Lexia told him buttoning a few of the buttons. "She a tough cookie." 

"How is she?" Angel asked Wesley. 

"A few broken ribs. Her back is bruised pretty bad where she collided with the column but she'll be fine if she gets some rest," Wesley said glancing at her. 

"Wes, I'll be fine by this time tomorrow," she told him. 

Wesley looked at her strangely then at Angel who nodded. He shrugged and gathered up his medical supplies. 

"Very well then. I need to get back to researching, maybe see if Lorne's back," he told them and left the room. 

Lexia looked up at Angel. "You didn't tell them I'm part demon?" 

"Didn't know what type of demon," he said shrugging. "So I couldn't really." 

Lexia nodded and moved to her dresser for a hairbrush. She lifted her hand to brush her hair and winced. Angel half smiled and took the brush from her. He turned her around and brushed it out for her. Lexia raised an eyebrow at the fatherly gesture. Then he reached around her for a random hair tie and pulled back her hair. It took him a few minutes but when he was done she had a neat bun near the nape of her neck. 

She looked at her hair in the mirror then turned to look at him 

"You're such a girl," she told him. 

"You should go shopping with me," he half joked. 

"So what about Connor and... Cordelia?" Lexia finally asked. 

"I looked until the sun came up. Found their sent half a dozen times but I ended up just going in circles." 

"They wouldn't be staying in just one place anyway," Lexia said. "They'll keep moving until...." 

"I know. That's why I'm going to find some help," Angel said. 

"Where?" 

Angel took a coin out of his pocket. Then also something that looked like a key. 

"Another dimension. Cordelia told me that her guide to the higher plain was also this guy I met when I was trying to save her life. I'm gonna see if he knows what's going on?" 

"What if she lied?" 

"Then I've wasted a few hours of my already long life," Angel said.

* * *

Connor shut the door behind them to a different empty warehouse. This one was dirtier than the last and had ice picks and other metal hooks hanging from the ceiling. 

"More hooks?" Cordelia said with a sigh. "Great." 

"We could try to find someplace else," Connor offered. 

" No. This'll do for now," she told him. 

Connor looked down. He felt really defeated and would like nothing more than to go to sleep. _Living in this dimension has really softened me_, he thought. Plus he kept thinking about Angel and Lexia and how they had turned on Cordelia so quickly. 

" Hey, it's okay. We're going to be all right," Cordelia promised. 

"I know. I just--I can't believe he tried to kill you," Connor said. "Maybe it wasn't really Angel." 

"Connor," Cordelia said tensely. 

"Angelus could've tricked us again. And--" 

"It was Angel," she broke in. "You know it was." 

"Everything he said about how I could help make the world a better place, about being a champion." 

"Lies... meant to keep you in your place where he can watch you, control you." 

"But Fred, Gunn, Wesley, Lorne, Lexia--I thought they were... good," Connor said. 

"What does that mean, really?" she asked walking away a little bit. "Being good? Doing the right thing? By who's judgment? Good, evil--they're just words, Connor. Concepts of morality they forced around your neck to yank you wherever they please. You're with me now. You don't have to live by their rules. You remember why?" 

"'Cause we're special," he answered smiling. 

"That's right. We're special, and our baby is going to be extraordinary." 

Connor felt a lot better now. Cordelia was right. He just needed to forget all their lies and think about what he knew was true. Cordelia was there for him. He was going to be a father, he had a family to protect. And he wasn't going to let anyone take that away from him.

* * *

Lexia followed Angel down the stairs. Fred and Gunn were in the lobby going through items in a cardboard box. 

"Scented candles, couple of broken pieces of the Muo-Ping," Fred was saying as they reached the landing. "And some toiletries that smell way too pretty to be evil." 

"Not much to go on," Lexia commented coming over to the counter to look. 

Fred nodded in agreement. "As insidious lairs go, it kept Cordy's room nice and tidy. I think it even vacuumed." 

"Keep working on a way to locate this thing," Angel told them. "If I'm not back in a couple of hours--" 

"You're dead, we're screwed, end of the world," Gunn broke in. 

"Or, you could stay here with us," Fred suggested smiling nervously. "Here's nice." 

"I've done this before. Don't worry," Angel assured them. "Walk in the park." 

"If I were you I'd be hating the park right about now," Lexia commented jumping up to sit on the counter. 

Angel frowned but ignored her. He took the key and put it in the center of the coin and turned it so it made a locking noise. Then it fell out of his hands and began spinning on the ground. A portal appeared and Angel jumped in, the key following him and the vortex closing. 

"I hate portals," Fred said tersely, tossing a candle back in the box. 

Lexia sympathized. She really didn't like the thought of Angel being in another dimension and no way of getting him back if anything went wrong. She just had to hope that nothing extreme happened in the next few hours.__

* * *

Connor stood watch at the window as a guard. The area around the building was surprisingly quite but Connor was tense. He felt like something was going to spring out at him any second and he'd have no way to fight it off. 

"He won't give up," Cordelia said from behind him. "You know that, right? He won't stop until he finds us." 

"Let him come. I can take him." 

"Come over here," Cordelia ordered. 

Connor walked away from the window over to Cordelia. She lifted up her shirt revealing her belly and pulled on his hand. 

"I want you to know what you're fighting for," she said placing his hand on her stomach. 

"It moved," Connor gasped. 

"Of course it did," Cordelia said smiling. "That's what babies do when they're happy. I can't tell you how thankful I am that I found someone like you. I just wish they could let us be happy." 

"I'll make them," he swore. 

"You can't. They're too afraid. But maybe when they see how beautiful our baby is..." 

"You think that would change how they feel?" he asked hopefully. 

"Our baby's going to change everything, Connor," she promised. 

"How soon... before we can show them?" 

"A week? Maybe two?" Cordelia guessed standing and walking away. "But he'll find us before that. I know he will. He'll find us and he'll--" 

"I won't let him," he interrupted. "I promise." 

"I don't want you killing each other. That's never what I wanted..." she trailed off then turned to him suddenly. "Maybe there's another way. A way to bring our baby into the world now--before anyone else can hurt us." 

"How?" Connor asked surprised. 

"I'll need some very special things. Do you think you can get them for me?"

* * *

"Why do I have to look through the book with Latin?" Lexia asked annoyed as she flipped through a book. 

Wesley stopped and looked at her book, then took it from her. He handed her another in English and she tried reading through it but her mind was somewhere else. She was thinking about Connor, somewhere hidden in the city, with that thing feeding him lies. It made her chest hurt and feel hollow to think about how they were manipulated and torn apart that way. The only thing she wanted to do now was find Connor and try to talk some sense into him. 

"Hey, here's something," Fred who had been pacing as she read an article. "Maybe I can--" 

She was cut off as the portal opened up again directly behind her. She jumped and grasped the book she was reading from to her chest as Angel came through and dropped and unconscious demon to the floor. Lexia dropped her own book in surprise. 

"--have an embolism!" Fred cried. 

"What happened?" Wesley asked. 

"We had words," Angel explained limping over to the couch. 

"Between the pummeling?" Lorne threw in. 

"Whatever's happened to Cordy, he's a part of it. We need to bind him to this dimension," Angel said groaning and sitting down. He noticed everyone still standing around gawking and looked up. "Before he wakes up would be nice."

* * *

Connor watched the blonde teenage girl back away from a vampire in a lone alley. She whimpered in fear and looked for a place to run to. 

"Mmm... I really love virgins," the vamp said advancing on her. 

He lunged to bite the girl who cried out. Connor chose to move then, staking the vamp before he ever reached the girl. The girl looked up at him in shock. 

"You all right?" Connor asked her. 

"He tried to kill--" the girl squeaked out 

"I know. Did he hurt you?" 

"No. No, you stopped him. Th-thank you," the girl said crying. "Thank you, oh-oh God, thank you so much. Th-thank--" 

Connor cut her off by punching her in the face. She fell the ground, unconscious. Connor looked down and could almost see himself punching Lexia the same way and the shocked look she gave him. He looked over at the girl and felt bile rise up in his throat. He took several deep breaths to push the feeling down the bent to pick her up.

* * *

Connor dropped the girl to the floor in the warehouse. Her hands were already bound and her face was bruised and swollen where he'd hit her. Connor looked away. 

"She's perfect," Cordelia told him happily. "Did you get everything else?" 

"Yeah," Connor said softly. 

"I know what your heart is telling you, Connor, but it will lie to you if you let it," Cordelia reminded him. "You have to trust me. Be sad, mourn for her, but never forget the truth. She's one of them. One of the average, normal people that fill this world. But what we're doing will elevate her life beyond that and give her death meaning. Her blood for our baby. That's more than fair, isn't it?" 

Connor said nothing just looked back at the girl. Cordelia went back to the other room preparing her ritual with the other items he'd gotten for her. Connor had a funny flutter in his stomach and his chest had an odd hollow feeling to it. _Is this really right?_ He wondered. _Should I let her kill this girl for our baby?_

* * *

Lexia watched as Skip awoke in a red circle of light. He looked surprised to be there and reached out to touch the light. When he saw it was a barrier he retracted his hand and the light disappeared. 

"Sand of the red palm," he said chuckling. "A child's trick." 

"Then why don't you come out and play," Gunn challenged. 

"In time,"Skip promised. 

"You'll have a lot of that after we make your accommodations a little bit more permanent," Angel said walking toward Skip with his arms crossed. "Fred?" 

"Sphere of the Infinite Agonies," Fred read from a book as she walked toward Skip. "Every second a lifetime. Should be able to whip one up in, um... twenty minutes." 

"Everything you know or she starts whipping," Angel threatened. 

"Hey," Skip protested holding up his hands. "Whoa. I'm just a merc. I go where the deal is and not getting stuck in one of those? Bargain. Anybody got a cig?" 

Lexia rolled her eyes and moved to sit on the round couch. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them as she listened. Usually she'd be jumping in with her own quips but she was feeling... funky to say the least. 

"Cordelia," Angel prompted as he paced. "Where is she?" 

"I don't know. This is your dimension, man, you tell me," Skip shot back. 

"The real Cordelia. Not this thing that's been posing as her." 

"How'd I ever get spanked by such a chump nut?" Skip asked causing Angel to look down with a sigh. "That thing which has turned your life into a burning ring of fire? She is the real Cordelia...Or at least she's in there somewhere. This whole thing..." 

"Is it Cordy or not?" Gunn demanded. 

"Oh, it's her," Skip assured. "She just ain't driving." 

Suddenly Lexia felt her stomach turn. She leapt up and ran to the bathroom hearing Skip's laugh follow her. 

"Think it's sympathy nausea?" he quipped before she shut the door. 

She just made it to the toilet as everything she had in her stomach came out of her. Once she was all inside out she flushed the toilet and sat on the floor. She heard a light tapping on the door. 

"Lexia?" Fred asked sounding concerned. "Are you ok?" 

"Yeah," she answered weakly._ I'm not the one in trouble,_ she thought. _It's Connor_.

* * *

Connor leaned his head out the window as all the food he'd had early came out of him. He coughed and spit when he was finished. He could hear Cordelia chanting in the other room. He grabbed one of the bottles of water he'd gotten and opened it taking some in his mouth. He swished and spit again then chugged nearly the whole bottle. He stopped and took a couple of deep breaths. 

_Pull yourself together_, he ordered himself. _I can't loose it now_. 

Connor grabbed another bottle of water and walked into the room Cordelia was in. She was sitting in a circle of white candles rocking slightly as she chanted. 

"Vanu'esh. Katahn darh'im. Vajra'ha'esh. Vanu'esh. Katahn darh'im. Vajra'ha'esh..." 

Connor turned and went to the other room where the girl was. She was still unconscious, her head leaning against the wall. Connor opened the bottle of water and knelt down. The girl awoke about the same time and gasped to see Connor in front of her. 

"It's okay," he assured. "I'm not gonna hurt you." 

"Please..." she begged cowering. 

"Brought you some water," Connor offered holding the bottle out to her. 

"I gotta get home," she cried, ignoring the water. "My mom's gonna be so mad." 

"I'm sorry," Connor told her softly. 

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," the girl begged weeping now. "Please, just let me go." 

"_Listen_..." Connor heard from the other side of the room. 

He jumped up, alert now. "Somebody there?" 

"I've always been here..." a definite feminine voice said. "Close to your heart. After all..." 

Suddenly she stepped out of the shadows. She was one of the most beautiful women Connor had ever seen. Blonde hair, blue eyes, smiling sweetly at him wearing a light colored dress and white sweater. 

"...isn't that where a mother belongs?"

* * *

Suddenly Lexia was feeling much better, and more determined then ever. She came out of the bathroom to see the gang still interrogating Skip 

"It wasn't just her ascension," Angel was saying. "Everything that's happened to Cordy in the past few years--all of it--was planned." 

"You really think it stops with her, amigo? You have any concept of how many lines have to intersect in order for a thing like this to play out? How many events have to be nudged in just the right direction?" Skip shot and looked at each person in turn. "Leaving Pylea. Your sister. Opening the wrong book. Sleeping with the enemy. Sparkly over there," Skip said motioning over to Lexia as she walked closer. "Was the only one not part of the plan." 

"What's happening to me?" she demanded holding a hand to her sore ribs. 

"This isn't my masters doing," Skip told her. "My only guess is the powers are stepping in trying to get you to save your puppy love. Soul mates will do that to ya." 

Everyone looked over at Lexia. She took and deep breath and shared a look with Angel. They both seemed to be getting it now. 

"The rain of fire," Lexia guessed. "I wasn't supposed to show up. That thing was supposed to go home with Connor and she'd be popping out a whole lot sooner." 

"Close, but wrong again," Skip said holding up a finger. "You were never supposed to meet. If you would have stayed with your father and been a good little groupie like the rest of your kind you'd be serving my master right now." 

"What makes me so special? How did escape your master's grand plan?" 

"Again," he said annoyed. "Soul mates. Destiny, sometimes it's not manipulated. Or it was by two different sources. Otherwise you're all little automatons. 

"No way. We make our own choices," Gunn declared. 

"Yeah, sure. Cheese sandwich here, uh, when to floss. But the big stuff, like two vampires squeezing out a kid?" 

"Connor," Lexia and Angel said together. 

"An impossible birth to make one possible," Wesley continued. 

"That's what the kid was designed for," Skip said. 

"To sleep with mother love?" Lorne said with a sarcastic chuckle. 

"To create a vessel," Angel said more to himself than to anyone. 

"Look out," Skip quipped. "The monkey's thinking again." 

"Being inside a human makes it vulnerable, doesn't it?" Angel guessed. "That's why it had to stay hidden. Why it needed to create something stronger to pour itself into." 

"Wait," Gunn cut in. "So the big nasty inside of Cordy is going to give birth... to itself?" 

_That's like really fucked up incest_, Lexia thought to herself. 

"Circle of life," Skip agreed. "It's a beautiful thing." 

"How do we stop it?" Angel demanded. 

"That's the easy part, slick. All you gotta do is find Cordelia and chop her head off." 

"Has to be another way," he argued. 

"Sure. Stab her in the heart, kidney, couple pokes in the lung--" Skip rambled. 

"A way that won't kill Cordy in the process," Angel broke in. 

"Takes a whole lot of cramming to get that much sweetness into a human," he informed Angel. "It's in every hair, every cell, every molecule of Cordelia's body and it ain't letting go 'til it got a brand new bag." 

"What happens to Cordy then?" Fred asked. 

"Drained of her life force during labor. Those contractions are a real bitch." 

"It'll kill her?" Angel asked surprised. 

"Or she'll end up a head of cabbage," Skip said with a shrug. 

"What do you wanna do?" Wesley asked Angel. 

"The only thing you can do. Kill the woman he loves to save the world. Times like this? Really gotta suck being you," Skip told Angel. 

"How do I find her?" Angel demanded but Skip wouldn't answer so Angel stepped forward menacingly. "How?" 

"Well, I'd go with the Bu'shundi ritual but, uh, you're gonna need a sacred Hutamin paw for that--" Skip relented. 

"Got it," Lorne declared going behind the counter. 

"What?" Skip asked shocked. 

"Cordy--the real Cordy--kept one in her desk drawer," Lorne told them going through her desk. 

"Probably a knock-off," Skip rationalized. "It's not some trinket you'd throw in a desk drawer--." 

"She thought it was a back scratcher," Lorne said pulling it out and showing the gang. 

"Get started," Angel ordered. 

"Wait, wait. Uh, did I say 'Bu'shundi' ? I meant 'Ru'shundi' . It's--it--whole different--" Skip saw that it was useless as the gang hurried around. "Crap." 

_****_


	14. The Woman

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and you know it! I will make claims to Lexia, she's mine. Don't take her from me, or I'll cyber-kick your ass! Thank you come again! 

Title: A True End 

Summary: Sequel to _Friendly Reflection_. Lexia and Connor fight to stay together against the apocalypse. As if Connor had never hooked up with Cordy in _Rain of Fire_. 

Rating: I'm make it R for fun! 

Chapter 14: 

Connor continued to stare at the woman. His mother, Darla. _No_, he told himself. _It's impossible. She's dead._

"The Powers have sent me to give you a message," Darla told him. 

"You can't be my mother," Connor denied. 

"I have her memories, her feelings," she told him softly. "Isn't that what makes a person who they are?" 

"Let me go, please..." the girl who Connor had nearly forgotten begged. 

"I know that sound, the look in her eyes, the smell of fear," Darla said as she walked toward the girl and knelt beside her, looking up at Connor. "I've nurtured it a thousand times in all the people that I've murdered." 

"My mother's dead," Connor told her and the girl looked up at him, confused. 

"And I'll always be a part of you," Darla said standing. "You shared your soul with me once when you were growing inside of me when I'd lost my own. You brought light to my shadow, filled my heart with joy and love. I'd never felt so close to any living thing as I did to my beautiful boy." 

"Why'd you leave me?" Connor asked scornfully "Did you hate me that much?" 

"Baby, no," she protested. "I wanted to be with you more than anything." 

"You killed yourself. I wasn't even born yet. And you--" 

"--did what I had to. My life for yours. I did so many terrible things, Connor, so much destruction, so much pain. You were the one good thing I ever did. The only good thing. I'd die every day for the rest of eternity for you. And this..." Darla said gesturing to the virgin girl. "Is how you repay me?" 

Connor walked away shaking his head. "You don't understand," he argued turning back to her. "We need her for our baby to keep it safe." 

"By anointing it in the blood of an innocent? You really think that safety can be plucked from the arms of an evil deed?" Darla asked him. 

"Good, evil. They're just words," Connor repeated words that he felt like were embedded in his brain. 

"Don't let this happen, Connor," she begged him. "Don't let my death mean nothing."

* * *

Lexia was coming down the stairs with her jacket as Lorne and Wesley came out of the office. Lorne held up a map triumphantly. 

"Hug your neighbor, kiddies, we got it." 

"You're all puppets," Skip scoffed. 

"Shut up," Wesley ordered. 

"Where is she?" Fred asked. 

"Well, according to the scorch marks," Lorne said looking at the map. "Downtown, meat packing district." 

"Good work," Angel said and took the map from Lorne 

"Lets load up," Gunn suggested heading over to the weapons cabinet. 

"No," Angel said grabbing his own weapons. "You're not coming, any of you. Whatever's taken over Cordy, it's still her inside. She's still our friend. She's still the woman I... I won't let you carry that. I can't." 

Lexia pulled on her jacket and stepped in front of Angel as he attempted to leave. 

"I'm going," she told him. 

"No. I-." 

"I know what you said," Lexia interrupted grabbing an ax out of the cabinet for herself. "But I'm the perfect person to go with. I didn't know the real Cordelia, and no offense to her or you guys but I hate that thing. Besides, Connor's gonna be in the way." 

Angel looked down exasperated. Finally he nodded his head. 

"All right," he agreed. "Let's go." 

Angel led her by the elbow out the door. Fred called something after them but they had to ignore her. Lexia didn't feel like they had much time left.

* * *

Connor looked down at his mother who was again kneeling by the blonde girl. Darla looked worried, protective, and motherly all at once. Seeing her filled him with so many different emotions and feeling. What he would like was for Darla to take him in her arms and hold him, comfort him like he never got while he was child. But... it was too late. 

"They hate us..." Connor told her about the gang. "Because we're special." 

"I don't hate you," the girl told him crying. "Please." 

"They're scared because of what you've done not because of what you are," Darla denied. 

"They wanted to kill me when I was still inside of you," he argued. 

"But that changed when they saw you," Darla said standing. "Held you in their arms, felt the warmth of your skin, the goodness in your heart." 

"And it will happen again when they hold my child. It's the only way." 

"You have a choice, Connor. That is something more precious then you'll ever know." 

"What choice?" he demanded. "They're hunting us like animals!" 

"Because you're acting like one," Darla said walking up to him. "As a vampire I killed without mercy or remorse because I didn't have a soul. What's your excuse?" 

"You think I wanna do this?" Connor asked shaking his head. 

"Then don't." 

"I have to," he argued feeling frustrated. 

"Why?" Darla asked gesturing to the next room. "Because she told you? There are things happening, Connor, things that I can't-- It has to be your choice. You can stop this." 

"Her blood for our baby's. It's fair, isn't it?" Connor wondered. 

The girl wept cowering. "Please, I wanna go home." 

"Shut up!" Connor yelled. He had about enough. He was being pulled from two different sides. One against his morals of right and wrong, then his own family. 

"This isn't you, Connor," Darla told him. 

"You've been gone a long time, Mom," he snapped sarcastically. "How would you know?" 

"Because we shared a soul. I feel the pain, the anger, the hurt, like it were my own. But most of all, I feel the good in you and no matter how much you're beaten or twisted or lied to, it's still there in your heart," Darla told him walking up to him and placing a hand on his chest above his heart. "I believe in you and so does she." 

Suddenly Connor could hear a pounding heartbeat in his head. He knew who's it was before he even had to ask, and gasped at the feeling he got with this sound. Worry, anguish, anger, but shining through all of that was love. Great, enormous love.... for him. 

"Lexia," he whispered as Darla moved her hand away and the feelings faded. He looked down at his mother who smiled and wiped a tear from his cheek. 

"You know what's right in your heart," Darla told him.

* * *

Lexia grasped the arm rest as Angel raced around another corner. _For some reason I see a car wreck in my future_, she thought. Angel looked over and saw the tense look on her face. 

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I've been driving cars since they were invented." 

"Then you should be driving like and old man not Dale Earnheart Jr." 

Angel said nothing as they continued to drive on. Lexia noticed he kept glancing over at her every so often though. 

"What?" she finally asked. 

"Do you think what Skip said was true?" he asked curiously. 

"About...." 

"You and Connor." 

_Oh_, Lexia thought. _That_. She wasn't even sure. It seemed pretty weird to her. How could she only be 18 and have already met her soul mate? Lexia wasn't even sure she believed in Soul Mates! 

"I... I'm not sure," she told him flustered. "I really can't think about it now." 

"Yeah," Angel agreed gripping the steering wheel. "I know." 

"Are you gonna be alright?" she asked feeling concern. The man was after all on his way to kill the woman he loved. 

"No," he answered taking another turn. "But it's part of the job." 

Lexia said nothing but empathized. The man had to go through so much and was never happy. Life really did suck.

* * *

Connor knelt down by the girl and reached for hr bound hands. The girl looked at him hopefully but was too afraid to move and was still sobbing uncontrollably. 

"Shhhhh. Shhh," Connor whispered to her. "It's okay." 

"You're all right now," Darla promised watching him. "Everything's going to be all right." 

"What are you doing?" 

Connor froze at the sound of Cordelia's voice. She stood in the doorway, a butcher knife in her hand. Connor swallowed hard. 

"Nothing. I, uh--" he stood, trying to think of something to say. 

"It's time," Cordelia told him motioning with the knife. "Take her in the other room." 

"Listen to your heart," Darla reminded him 

_Right now my hearts saying "Oh shit, oh shit, oh..."_ he thought. Connor steeled himself for Cordelia's reaction. He knew it wouldn't be easy but he had to convince her to let the girl go. 

"She didn't do anything," Connor told Cordelia. "We should let her go." 

"No we shouldn't," Cordelia argued. "We need her, Connor. Our baby--" 

"Shouldn't be anointed with innocent blood," he broke in. 

"Anointed?" Cordelia said angrily. "Who's been filling your head with big, confusing words?" 

_Oh, so I'm stupid now_, Connor thought and turned away, pacing. "Just been thinking about it." 

"Or, maybe... a little birdie's been pecking at you behind my back," Cordelia guessed walking further into the room. 

Connor was getting freaked out. Cordelia seemed to almost know that he'd talked with Darla. But that was impossible. She couldn't know everything, right? 

"She'll lie to you," Darla told him. 

"You know how much they love to use the magic, Connor," Cordelia was saying. "A spell for this, a spell for that." 

"Close her out, baby," Darla encouraged. 

Connor walked a little closer to where his mother stood. It made him feel a little safer. Reassured him more. _Don't think about the baby_, he told himself and tried to remember Lexia's feelings that Darla had shown him. _Think of Lexia, remember her_. 

"Whatever you're hearing," Cordelia went on. "Whatever you think you're seeing--it's a trick." 

"Don't let her in," Darla said. 

"It's Angel." 

"No," Darla argued seeming to get worried now. 

"Trying to turn you against me with a cheap vision of--" Cordelia paused and looked at his mother. "Darla." 

Connor looked up, shocked. "You can see her?" 

"I see the lies," Cordelia said disdainfully. 

_Oh god_, he thought. _Is this really all lies? But I felt Lexia's.... Wait, she wanted to hurt Cordelia. My baby. She can't be good... But I love her..._

"Connor, listen to me," Darla begged rushing forward. 

"It's not her," Cordelia argued also rushing forward. 

_I can't think like this. I can't kill this girl it's wrong... But Cordelia and the baby need me... Why would Angel do this...?_

"You have to let her go," Darla told him. 

"It's your father. This is how much he hates you." 

"I love you. Please." 

_My mother... She's gotta be right... But Cordy's been with me all along... She was wrong about Angel before..._

"Torturing you with this sad imitation of your dead mother," Cordelia said. 

"Don't let her do this," Darla begged, crying. 

"Are you going to let them do this to us?" Cordelia demanded. "Are you going to let them kill our baby?" 

"Connor, listen to me..." Darla pleaded. 

"You are not my mother!" he yelled having heard enough. 

Connor turned and grabbed the girl's bound hands. She cried out in protest but Connor ignored her. Connor dragged the girl into the next room, near the circle Cordelia had been in before. Cordelia had followed him and was now rearing her hand back with the butcher knife. The girl looked up at him but now she had Darla's face. 

"Please, don't do this Connor," Darla begged. "Don't--" 

Darla was cut off as Cordelia brought the knife down and sliced her throat. Blood splattered across his face and the girl collapsed. Connor looked up at Cordelia in shock. 

"There," Cordelia said remorselessly. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

* * *

Lexia flinched as she felt something hot and thick splatter on her face. She brought her hand to face and tried to wipe it off but nothing was there. She frowned as she looked at her fingers then looked up. 

"Angel?" 

"Yeah?" he asked as he took another corner. 

"What I said about driving like an old man," she reminded. "Forget it." 

"Way ahead of you," he said pushing the accelerator as far it would go.

* * *

Connor stared at the girl, now lying outside the circle where Cordelia had told him to put her. The girl was covered in her own blood and some of it was still splattered on his face. Cordelia lay in the circle on some bedding, withering in pain. 

"Connor, we have to do this," Cordelia said grunting. "While it's fresh." 

Connor said nothing as Cordelia began to chant. Connor knelt over the girl and placed his palm in her blood. Then he stood and walked over to Cordelia who was still chanting and withering in pain. She lifted up her shirt to reveal her swollen belly. 

"Do it, Connor," she ordered panting. "Do it now." 

Connor pressed his bloody palm to her belly. When he withdrew his hand the palm print began to glow then seeped into her skin. Cordelia screamed suddenly and the building started to shake. Connor moved to help but looked around nervously. 

"Cordy!" he shouted over the noise. "Something's wrong. We have to stop it." 

"No, it's coming," Cordelia said laughing. "It's coming. The beginning of a new world." 

"Or not," Connor heard behind him. He turned and saw Angel, a sword in hand. Connor stood to face him.

* * *

Lexia entered the room to see Angel and Connor already face to face. She entered cautiously staying in the shadows so Angel could fight Connor and she could get Cordelia who looked like she was ready to pop. 

"She lied to you, Connor," Angel told him. 

"Don't listen!" Cordelia ordered. 

"To all of us," he continued. "That's not Cordelia." 

"Leave us alone!" Connor yelled and lunged at Angel knocking him over. 

Lexia choose this moment to move. She snuck forward advancing on Cordelia. When she reached her side the panting woman glared at her. Lexia lifted her ax and prepared to bring it down when Cordelia suddenly flung out her hand and Lexia went flying through the air. She crashed into the far wall and slide down, grunting in pain. 

"Son of a bitch," Lexia swore and tried to stand but couldn't get her legs to move. For a moment she was afraid she was paralyzed but the extreme pain in her legs told her otherwise. Her nerves were just shocked. 

"Kill him!" Cordelia was screaming at Connor. "Kill them both!" 

Connor kicked Angel's sword away. Then he punched him across the face. Angel grabbed Connor's arms and swung him into a wall getting space between them. 

"Angel!" Lexia yelled to him. "I can't get up!" 

Angel punched Connor who fell to the ground. 

"You think I wanna do this?" Angel asked Connor. "I don't have a choice!" 

Lexia struggled with her legs as Angel grabbed his sword. He advanced on Cordelia and lifted his sword. Lexia finally got to her feet and leaned against the wall. She looked to Connor who had just gotten up and was going after Angel. She staggered forward and grabbed his arm. 

"Connor, no-" 

Lexia was cut off as Cordelia screamed and a bright green-white column of light shot up from her body in a blast of energy. The impact knocked them all off their feet and all the way back to the walls. Lexia and Connor were tangled up together and Connor struggled to his feet. He helped her up and they looked at the light and could faintly see something octopus like in it. The light began to retract, the form getting smaller with it. It took on a more human shape as the light got smaller and eventually disappeared. 

Lexia took a few steps forward as Angel jumped up and charged the being. He stopped suddenly and looked at the being. Lexia stopped as well as she saw the being was a beautiful black woman who just seemed to be shining with light, beauty and love. Lexia and Connor both dropped to their knees in awe. 

"Oh, my God, Angle murmured and dropped to his knees as well. "You're beautiful." 

"Angel," the woman said smiling at him. 

_****_They all continued to stare as she picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her naked body. Lexia felt like she wanted to memorize every movement, every gesture, every sound that came out of this beautiful, wonderful creature. The woman smiled and looked around. 

"Oh, it's all so--" the woman began. 

"Unworthy?" Angel suggested. 

"Wonderful," she answered smiling then turned to kneel by Cordelia. "Cordelia, thank you for protecting me and nourishing me. Your spirit has been my shelter, but you can rest peacefully now. I'm here." 

"That's all she wanted--" Connor said from beside Lexia. "To give you life." 

_And I tried to kill her_, Lexia suddenly realized. _Before she ever had a chance..._

"And I can feel all of it," the woman said smiling. "The cold floor, the air, this skin. Everything is perfect." 

Lexia began to sob covering her face with her hands. _How could I have done that?_ She wondered. 

"Lexia?" the woman said walking towards her. "Why are you sad? There is nothing to be sad about any more. I am here." 

"I almost killed you," she sobbed and Connor placed a hand on her shoulder. "If Cordelia hadn't stopped me-" 

"We both almost did," Angel said astonished at himself. He handed the woman his sword. "I should be punished." 

Connor put his arm around Lexia and she rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to sob. The woman lifted the sword and Lexia closed her eyes. 

"Angel, I can feel your suffering," the woman said. "But now that suffering is going to end." 

Lexia waited but nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see Angel looking up. The woman had disappeared._****_


End file.
